TPD completed the design for the replacement of the Keim Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River, bordering the Borough of Pottstown, Montgomery County and North Coventry Township, Chester County. The existing 749-foot-long bridge, which is an eight-span riveted steel pony truss, built in 1935, is co-owned by Montgomery and Chester Counties. Prior to its closure in 2010, the structure was posted for a 22-ton weight restriction, except 29-ton combinations.

The existing bridge was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as part of PennDOT/FHWA Historic Bridge Inventory. Due to the bridge’s historic designation, the TPD Team had to maneuver the project through the Section 106 and Consulting Party process with PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission. As part of this process, our Team investigated various alternatives, including no build, rehabilitation, and various replacement options. In the end, the existing eight-span truss structure will be replaced with a five-span prestressed concrete beam structure. This span arrangement was selected based on an extensive hydraulic analysis to ensure no additional flooding resulted from this replacement on both Keim Street and the adjacent Industrial Boulevard. The TPD team also had to coordinate numerous utility relocations and attachments to the new bridge. Additional complexities with the project involved the need to coordinate construction staging with the SR 422 Interchange project being designed by PennDOT immediately to the south to minimize unnecessary additional work when that project is constructed. Finally, coordination was required to blend the construction activities and the final alignments with the recently constructed Schuylkill River Trail immediately to the north of the existing new bridge.

Through coordination with the Consulting Parties, including both adjoining North Coventry Township and Pottstown Borough, the proposed bridge will include aesthetic treatments including architectural lighting, substructure concrete architectural treatments and open railings on the bridge to preserve the views of the Schuylkill River for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The project construction will start in 2024, with an expected two-year construction schedule.

As the Prime Consultant, TPD was responsible for completing engineering design for the proposed bridge replacement, including:

• Structure & Roadway Design
• Environmental and Permitting
• Traffic Control and Signals Design
• Right-of-Way Plans
• Drainage/Stormwater Design
• Utility Coordination and Relocation
• Project Management
• Public Involvement