New Falls Road Bridge Replacement

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Project Description

The New Falls Road Bridge project is located at milepost 356.62, approximately five miles east of the Bensalem Interchange Exit 351, and approximately one mile west of the Levittown/Bristol Interchange Exit 42 in Bucks County, PA. The project involves the removal of a single span steel girder bridge over the PA Turnpike (I-276) and the construction of a new two (2) span steel-plated girder bridge. New Falls Road will be shut down and a detour will be implemented at the close of the school year in June 2020 to allow for the new bridge to be built. A temporary signal and signal upgrades will be installed at the intersections of Zimmerman Lane and Newportville Road and of New Falls Road and Newportville Road, respectively. Two existing local roads, Nebraska Street south of the bridge and Martins Lane north of the bridge, conflict with the lengthening of the reconstructed bridge. Therefore, prior to building the bridge, the roads are to be realigned in order for the new bridge to be built to accommodate the future widening of the PA Turnpike. Full depth pavement and drainage modifications will be incorporated with the two realigned roadways.

Project Schedule

The project schedule anticipates work beginning in the fall of 2019 and continuing through the summer of 2021.

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Construction Information Archive

September 2020 to February 2021

• Excavated north/south abutment and median pier foundations.
• Drove piles at north/south abutment and median pier foundations.
• Formed/poured north/south abutment and pier walls.
• Executed backfilling of the north abutment.
• Erected structural steel girders from the median pier to the north abutment (Span No. 2).

February 2020 to August 2020

• Relocated AQUA water main.
• Opened relocated Martins Lane.
• Opened relocated Nebraska Street.
• PECO/Comcast installed fiber optic cables at Martins Lane.
• Demolished and removed existing New Falls Bridge deck over I-276.
• Demolished existing Abutments No. 1 and 2.
• Performed Class 1 Excavation of existing embankment behind Abutments No. 1 and 2.
• Drove piles at Abutment No. 2.

August 2019 to January 2020

• Received Notice to Proceed on July 31, 2019.
• Began mobilization/survey layout.
• Cleared/grubbed the project along Nebraska Street, Martins Lane, and New Falls Road.
• Placed embankment for relocated Martins Lane.
• Installed drainage pipe and grading channels along relocated Martins Lane.
• PECO Energy, Verizon, and Comcast relocated their utility wires/cables.
• PECO Energy rerouted electric service on both sides of the New Falls Road Bridge.
• Verizon and Comcast completed relocation to poles across I-276.