Project Overview
The Hawk Falls Bridge Project includes the full replacement of the Hawk Falls Bridge (NB-610) at Milepost A88.59 and the nearby Hickory Run Road Bridge in Penn Forest and Kidder Townships, Carbon County. The new Hawk Falls Bridge will be a 720-foot-long steel structure with a 480-foot deck arch span, accompanied by four 60-foot deck plate girder spans. Like the existing bridge, the new one will accommodate two traffic lanes in each direction, along with 12-foot-wide outside shoulders and 6-foot-wide median shoulders. To achieve an aesthetically pleasing design, three welded, steel box arch ribs will be used to span the deep Mud Run Valley within Hickory Run State Park.
The Hickory Run Road Bridge, located directly to the north of the Hawk Falls Bridge, will also be replaced with this project. This three-span overpass bridge, measuring 111 feet in length, carries the PA Turnpike over PA State Route 534. It will be replaced with a new 120-foot-long, single-span bridge. By eliminating the two existing concrete piers, the new bridge will provide a more open feel for travelers on Hickory Run Road, and also provides room for future roadway upgrades on this vital link through Hickory Run State Park.
To maintain smooth and consistent traffic flow on the Turnpike during construction, both new bridges will be constructed on a new roadway alignment just east of the current alignment. Once completed, traffic will be shifted to the new structures with only minor traffic control measures needed to complete the transitional roadway.
Upon completion, the modern bridge and realigned roadway will improve safety and mobility for travelers on this section of the interstate through the scenic Mud Run gorge.
