Students:
- Brian Kunz,
- Jacob Lewkowski,
- Anthony Mariani (Team Leader),
- Reece Nordeen
Advisors: A. Bechtel, T. Brennan
A railway overpass located along Grand Avenue between Hackettstown and Mansfield Township, New Jersey has insufficient clearance (ten feet-eight inches) and is too narrow for two cars to safely pass in opposing directions. These problems have remained unaddressed for a number of years because the bridge is not claimed by a municipal body and is therefore classified as orphaned. Although unclaimed, this bridge requires a redesign that consists of increasing the span from 18 to 100 feet, rotating the bridge abutments to be oriented perpendicular with the track, straightening Grand Avenue, and lowering the roadway elevation below the bridge. The new bridge will consist of W16x26 floor beams spaced 10 feet from center to center and two custom supporting I-beams with a 3/8 inch x 57-inch web and ½ x 24-inch flanges. In order increase the clearance to 14 foot, the roadway has been designed 2 feet lower at its lowest point. The new road will accommodate two 12 foot lanes, 3 foot shoulders, and a 10 foot clearance from shoulders to bridge abutments. The pavement design will consist of a 6 inch sub-base, 4 inch base, and 4 inch asphalt to handle the increased traffic loads. Construction of the new bridge is scheduled to occur between July and August, during which time the road will be closed off to non-local traffic. A detour plan has been created to divert traffic onto Route 46 through Hackettstown.