Brenda Marie Rivers
The 11th annual America’s Transportation Awards has recognized the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s $24.2 million Hunter Station Bridge project for its innovative use of technology for bridge rehabilitation and replacement.
Dewberry said Friday that it served as the prime consultant for the Tionesta Township, Pa., project, which won Best Use of Technology and Innovation in the medium category for the Northeast region.
The company facilitated the bridge’s preliminary engineering phase, which includes environmental studies required by the National Environmental Policy Act as well as an in-depth inspection of the 1,050-foot thru truss bridge to make rehabilitation-versus-replacement decisions.
The finished bridge, which replaced an existing one that supports U.S. Route 62 across the Allegheny River, features a beveled pavement “safety edge” and a high-friction, asphalt-mix surface to reduce the vulnerability of vehicles to road-departure crashes.
The bridge also contains a deck drainage system with a single-shaft pier foundation that connects to infiltration beds on the river banks to reduce its impact on aquatic life such as mussels, which were relocated to suitable habitats within Pennsylvania and other states.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials will hold an annual meeting in September to announce the grand prize winner from the Top 12, which includes three projects from each region with the highest scores.
America’s Transportation Awards is sponsored by AASHTO, Socrata, the American Automobile Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
