Bridge Renovation Trifecta in Play

The BCCT tells us this morning that the Calhoun Street Bridge is next on the list of DRJTBC structures to be rehabilitated.

Structures need to be maintained (note to school board) and plans need to be made (also a note to the school board) but it's not going to be easy traffic-wise with both the Superhighway and Calhoun bridges undergoing some sort of work.

Calhoun Street Bridge slated for rehabilitation
The 124-year-old span is the oldest of the commission’s 20 Delaware River bridges.
By GEORGE MATTAR

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission awarded a contract Monday to start the rehabilitation process for the 124-year-old Calhoun Street Bridge, which carries about 18,500 vehicles daily.

At its regular monthly meeting, the board approved a contract not to exceed $666,000 for TransSystems Corp. of Langhorne to begin engineering studies on the bridge. The engineering contract is for preliminary, final and post design services.

The rehabilitation includes replacement of the floors, repairs of the iron truss, painting, improvements to the bridge rail and sidewalk safety features and roadway repairs.

Construction is expected to being late next year and be completed in late 2010, said commission spokesman Joe Donnelly. The study will determine the cost of the project.

“The Calhoun Street Bridge is the oldest bridge in our jurisdiction,” said Frank G. McCartney, the commission’s executive director. “At 124 years old, the bridge is constructed of wrought iron, posing unique challenges for commission personnel and our consultants to overcome in rehabilitating the structure.”

Donnelly said McCartney was referring to the iron structure, as few, if any bridges are constructed of iron today. Even back in the 1800s, Donnelly said many bridges were built with steel.

The bridge is 1,274 feet long. A timber plank pedestrian sidewalk is supported by the upriver truss on steel cantilever brackets, Donnelly said. The bridge has a three ton limit and a 15 mph speed limit.

In 1985, stiff opposition from Morrisville residents prevented the commission from replacing the span with a new bridge. Likewise, a plan by the commission to convert the Calhoun Street bridge into a pedestrian route in return for a four-lane bridge being built next to it was turned back in 1992.