Two Urban Projects Cited for Engineering Excellence

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania has announced its 2009 Diamond Award winners for engineering excellence. Two Urban Engineers’ projects, the Widening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Quittapahilla Pedestrian Bridge, were cited and received certificates recognizing the projects’ outstanding contributions to Pennsylvania for enhancing the social and economic welfare of the Commonwealth and its citizens.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike project involved a $330 million total reconstruction and widening of the Turnpike to three lanes in each direction from the Valley Forge to Norristown exits, a distance of 5.3 miles.

Urban was responsible for day-to-day management of design activities and coordination with state, federal, and local government; utilities; and adjacent design section consultants for the 5.3 mile section from the Valley Forge Interchange to the Schuylkill River Bridge. 

Urban’s design responsibility included overall project design, including the Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Plan, maintenance and protection of traffic plan, obtaining necessary permits, and preparing bidding documents.  Under a separate contract, Urban provided post design services.

The Quittapahilla Pedestrian Bridge is a timber pedestrian bridge with two 72-foot-long glue-laminated structural timber girders, cast-in-place concrete bridge and boardwalk abutments, cast-in-place concrete boardwalk piers, and elevated pressure treated lumber boardwalk and handrail. Urban was the construction manager for this unique and environmentally sensitive bridge located in Quittie Creek Nature Park, Annville, Pennsylvania.  The bridge  is owned by the Quittie Creek Nature Park Committee of the Friends of Old Annville, Inc.