Gay Street Bridge Project Wins FHWA Award
December 30, 2010Location: York, Pennsylvania
The Gay Street Bridge (State Route 113) replacement project in
Phoenixville, PA, designed by JMT, has been honored by the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) through its 2010 Excellence in
Highway Design Awards. This prestigious and highly selective
national program recognizes outstanding highway transportation
projects, honoring just two projects per category every two years
-- the Category Winner and the Honorable Mention. The Gay
Street Bridge project received Honorable Mention in the
highly-competitive category of Structures Costing $10 Million or
more.
JMT's primary engineering challenge involved replacing a
historically significant, massive concrete spandrel arch with a
modern structure that met the functional and cultural needs of the
site. The Gay Street Bridge was located within an historic
district. It carried traffic over the former site of the
Phoenix Iron Works -- famous for its production and construction of
cannons for the Union Army during the Civil War as well as for the
patented Phoenix column truss bridges. To help gain consensus
within the community, JMT implemented an extensive public
involvement program, investing considerable effort to preserve and
document the history of the site and to incorporate numerous
context-sensitive features into the project. The result was a
modern, 9-span steel arch structure with increased load-carrying
capacity that celebrated the site's historic importance.
Equally if not more importantly to the public, the project was
completed approximately three months ahead of schedule.
JMT and the other FHWA Excellence Award Winners showcase
innovative practices and methods that have been integrated into
project development and delivery with resounding success. Click here
for more information on FHWA's website, including the entire
list of awards.