Freeport Truss Bridge Rehabilitation

The Freeport Bridge, also known as the Donald R. Lobaugh Bridge, was constructed in 1965 to carry PA Route 356 traffic over the Allegheny River and to connect the Freeport Borough area to Westmoreland County. The 1,074-ft. long 3-span continuous truss with 1,369-ft of approach spans are a vital link in the Alle-Kiski Valley transportation corridor. Based primarily on the findings of a recent bridge inspection and years of heavy use, PennDOT decided that a major rehabilitation was necessary.

Modjeski and Masters (M&M) commenced the rehabilitation process with an in-depth bridge inspection and 3-D structural analysis of the continuous trusses and gusset plate analyses. Our use of advanced structural analysis yielded findings that minimized the construction effort and impact on the traveling public. Next, M&M continued to provide preliminary engineering and final design services for rehabilitation and redecking of the truss spans and complete replacement of the North and South elevated approach spans. Our life-cycle solution included significant truss bridge rehabilitation design of the river spans, including: extensive truss member, crossbeam and floorbeam strengthening; gusset plate strengthening; seismic retrofits of truss bearings; and rocker bearing replacements. During the rehabilitation process, bi-directional traffic flow was maintained at all times. Construction was complete in 2013.