Pennsylvania Avenue over Delaware Canal Bridge Replacement

County: Bucks
State Route(s): Route 2073
Local Name(s): Pennsylvania Avenue
Project Type: Bridge Replacement

This project involves the replacement of the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge (SR 2073) over the Delaware Canal in Morrisville Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The existing crossing is a 68-foot long, two-lane, single-span steel deck girder structure with a concrete deck and bituminous wearing surface on multiple rolled steel I-beams with riveted cover plates that are supported by reinforced concrete abutments. The existing structure was built in 1930. The Delaware Canal State Park is located within the project area.

The project scope is to replace the existing bridge on the same alignment. The proposed bridge will consist of one span with a span length of 69 feet (one foot longer than the existing one). The proposed out-to-out width of the bridge is 46-feet and the proposed curb-to-curb width is 31 feet. The sidewalks on the proposed bridge will be 6 feet wide. The superstructure and substructure will be replaced as part of the project. The proposed superstructure will be composed of eight built-up steel plate girders, which will be painted brown. The proposed abutments are anticipated to be reinforced concrete cantilever type; the proposed abutment wing walls are anticipated to be a mix of cast-in-place reinforced concrete and prefabricated precast modular concrete units.

A PennDOT Type 10M (TL-4 barrier) will be placed on both sides of the proposed bridge, painted brown. Guiderail will be required for the project; it will be painted brown.

There is an existing short stone retaining wall in the southeast quadrant, that ties into the existing bridge wing wall. The bridge wing wall will be replaced, while the stone retaining wall will either be modified or replaced. If the stone retaining wall is to be replaced, the type of new wall is to be determined.

Due to the presence of aerial utility wires that cross Pennsylvania Avenue, utility wires and utility poles will require temporary or permanent relocation to allow for the replacement of the bridge.

During construction, the bridge replacement will require a detour along Pennsylvania Avenue and the Delaware Canal Towpath. 

Inlets and manholes are proposed for the approach roadways for drainage purposes. No inlets or manholes are proposed on the new bridge.

As part of the project, the existing Delaware Canal towpath underneath the bridge will be reconstructed on an improved horizontal alignment. The existing towpath under the bridge is supported by a reinforced concrete slab supported on concrete-encased steel Ibeams; the slab and I-beams are generally supported by—or cantilevered off—the existing south abutment. The reconstructed towpath’s support type (or foundation type), under the bridge, is to be determined.

The existing vertical under-clearance to the towpath is approximately 7’-4”. As coordinated with DCNR, a 7’-6” minimum under-clearance will be used for this project.