Chestnut Street Bridges Rehabilitation Project

Sector: Bridges
Location: Philadelphia | Owner: PennDOT District 6-0 | Cost: $105.4 Million | Completion: 2022

Details: The Chestnut Street Bridges Rehabilitation Project is a historic landmark infrastructure initiative in Philadelphia, spanning University City and Center City. With a total construction cost of $105.4 million, the project aimed to rehabilitate seven bridges, two retaining walls, and associated infrastructure. The Chestnut Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River carries approximately 18,664 vehicles per day and spans critical infrastructure including I-76 and two major rail lines. Work on this project began in August 2017. The Chestnut Street Bridge was substantially complete and reopened to traffic in March 2022 following a two-year closure — due partly to interruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. JBC Associates, Inc., played a pivotal role in ensuring the project’s success through meticulous scheduling, managing the complex phasing and coordination required in this urban, multi-modal infrastructure project.

Project Scope and Key Improvements: The project involved reinforcing five steel bridges and two brick masonry arch bridges, replacing sidewalks and bridge decks, and repairing the East River Wall, which supports the Schuylkill River Trail. Additionally, the project introduced a parking-protected bicycle lane, widened sidewalks, and installed Philadelphia’s first bicycle signal at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Schuylkill Avenue West.

JBC’s Sr. Scheduler played a pivotal role in managing the complex phasing and required coordination with multiple stakeholders: Amtrak, CSX, PennDOT, the City of Philadelphia, and private property owners.

Scheduling Challenges and Risk Mitigation: The project’s complex urban setting, spanning Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor on the west side and CSX’s double-track freight line along the east side of the Schuylkill River, presented significant coordination challenges. These complexities required close collaboration with railroads and various agencies to secure the necessary reviews and approvals, ensuring the project stayed on track through the design and construction phases.

Railroad coordination, spanning active rail lines, was a major challenge which required precise outage windows, such as four-hour track outages. Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods were employed to minimize disruption, with prefabricated steel arch ribs lifted into place during these short windows. The Contractor proposed a re-sequencing of the construction stages. JBC worked closely with the Contractor to develop and secure approval for this revised staging plan, which resulted in updated milestone dates being added to the contract. Throughout construction, JBC worked to identify and implement options to mitigate delays — analyzing and providing recommendations to PennDOT for nine Time Extension Requests submitted by the Contractor, ensuring that all extensions were thoroughly evaluated and justified.

Urban constraints, including limited space and proximity to private buildings, necessitated phased construction and sidewalk support redesign. Pedestrian and bicycle access had to be maintained throughout, requiring staged detours and temporary paths. Vertical clearance restrictions, particularly for the CSX corridor, could not be reduced by more than one inch, necessitating custom steel arch rib design and tight construction tolerances.

Material handling in confined spaces was addressed using lightweight foamed glass aggregate and a conveyor system for efficient delivery along the CSX haul road. The fill was retained using a GRS wall system, reducing structural load and simplifying installation.

Traffic and safety management were critical, with at least one sidewalk always kept open. A new protected bike lane and dedicated bicycle signal were installed to enhance safety, and traffic detours were clearly marked and coordinated with city agencies.
Through a partnership between the City of Philadelphia OTIS and PennDOT, the traditional right-side bike lane was replaced with a left-side, parking protected bike lane between Schuylkill Avenue West and 22nd Street on Chestnut Street, enhancing and expanding the City’s bicycle network. The project features the first bicycle signal in Philadelphia, providing bicyclists with a protected phase of the signal timing to cross the intersection.

Recognition

March of Dimes — 2024 Transportation Project of the Year: Transportation, Building & Construction Awards
Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia — 2023 Grand Jury Award
ASHE Delaware Valley — 2022 Project of the Year (Over $20 Million)