Maple Avenue Bridge

Taylor, Wiseman & Taylor (TWT) was selected by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to perform preliminary, final and construction engineering services for the replacement of the 100-year old Maple Avenue (CR 642) Bridge over the NJ Transit Atlantic City Rail Line. The existing bridge was constructed around 1900 by the Delaware River Railroad & Bridge (DRRR & B) Company and consisted of a three-span riveted through-plate girder and floor beam superstructure supported by steel-framed piers and stone masonry abutments and pier foundations. The original timber deck had been replaced with corrugated steel planks and the steel superstructure exhibited severe rusting and advanced loss of critical sections. The existing crest vertical curve to which the bridge was built over the railroad was extremely substandard for Safe Stopping Sight Distance. The bridge carried one lane of traffic and sidewalks in each direction across the railroad through a mature neighborhood of single-family homes.

TWT successfully documented that there was no “feasible alternative” to replacement of the structure when compared to alternatives for “no-build,” preservation/realignment and rehabilitation. As part of the refurbishment, we documented the process for the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Standards via photographs and drawings of the bridge, to employ stone facing to replicate the masonry substructure elements.

Project objectives included bridge reconstruction with minimal impact to the existing residential neighborhood, minimization of overall construction cost (Life Cycle), and inclusion of the community in the design development process to ensure their support. The completed project met all objectives of the problem statement. The design of the replacement bridge and associated roadway improvements effectively minimized impact to the adjacent private properties. We introduced many aesthetic treatments and features into the project for the State Historic Preservation Office and the requests of the local community. Patterned concrete was used for the sidewalk to simulate wood decking, and for the parapet to give an appearance of stone. The railing was custom-fabricated to match the ironwork on the original bridge. A neighborhood “pocket park” was created on available land at the bridge approach.