Technical Description:
- Width: 9-ft.
- Span: 179-ft.
- Style: Gateway®
- Finish: Painted Steel
- Decking: Concrete
Several pedestrians – particularly children – had been struck while crossing the busy intersection of Route 46 and Franklin Road in Denville, New Jersey, on their way to Gardner Park or one of the local elementary schools. Following a series of feasibility studies, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, in cooperation with Denville Township, built a pedestrian bridge to provide safe access over Route 46 and improve pedestrian safety.
Due to the site footprint, the truss needed to cross the intersection diagonally and there was a vast amount of both underground and aerial utilities in the area to consider during the planning phase. Along with the tight site constraints, neighboring businesses chose to remain open throughout the construction process. A quick installation was necessary to ensure minimal disturbance to the community.
NJDOT and consulting engineer French & Parrello Associates chose a 179-foot span Continental® Gateway® style truss bridge for the project. The structure allowed for a quick installation, reduced site preparation time, lowered costs and provided minimal bridge maintenance.
“The prefabricated steel truss bridge was hoisted into place after midnight during a short term road closure and was securely in place in less than one hour” said Matthew A. Danza, PE, design engineer on the project.
Aesthetics was also a key factor in the bridge design because the project partners wanted a sleek, modern look. Steel tube space frames were used as piers to match the look of the truss and a concrete form liner was used on substructure elements to compliment the rhythmic pattern within the pedestrian railing and truss segments.
“Light colored paint was also used throughout to give the bridge an open, fresh feel including a custom color on the truss fencing” said Danza. “The project overall – and the truss bridge aspect in particular – was a success”
Technical Description:
- Width: 9-ft.
- Span: 179-ft.
- Style: Gateway®
- Finish: Painted Steel
- Decking: Concrete