7TH STREET OVER I-80 AND McMICHAELS CREEK

THE CHALLENGE

Spanning Interstate 80, protected wetlands, and McMichaels Creek, the 7th Street (SR 611) Bridge serves as a major access point to shopping, dining, and entertainment destinations along Main Street in downtown Stroudsburg for both motorists and pedestrians.

The Stroudsburg Post Office, a historic landmark adjacent to the bridge, is an excellent example of art deco architecture. Dating back to 1934, the original 7th Street Bridge was also historic, and with its decorative parapets, pilasters, and lighting, it repeated the post office’s art deco theme.

HOW WE HELPED

McCormick Taylor designed a 4-span prestressed concrete Bulb Tee beam bridge to replace the existing 11-span concrete bridge, resulting in a much more efficient structure. Span one is 155 feet long to accommodate the future widening of Interstate 80. Spans two through four each have equal lengths of 132 feet to simplify construction with repetitive details throughout the structure. To reduce the cost of future maintenance, this 551-foot-long bridge was designed without any expansion joints in the deck. Instead, the expansion joints were moved off the bridge and constructed at the ends of the approach slabs located 30 feet beyond the abutments.

THE RESULTS

Extensive coordination with various community stakeholders during preliminary engineering facilitated a smooth final design phase. Early project coordination with Stroudsburg Borough revealed their desire to include ornamental light fixtures on the new bridge to replicate the lighting on Main Street, providing a gateway into the Borough. After coordinating with the Borough’s Tree and Shade Commission, it was decided that trees would be planted to replace those lost to construction in Rotary Creek Park and Ann Street Park, which are located under the bridge. The new 7th Street Bridge features custom architectural details to replicate those found on the original bridge, by request of the Borough’s Historic and Architectural Resource Board. The new 7th Street Bridge opened on December 17, 2012 and ensures continued regional growth and economic development in the Borough.