D&R Canal Pedestrian Bridge Over Route US 1

Arora and Associates was retained to create a signature bridge for the Delaware click to enlarge imageand Raritan Canal State Park, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and a key element of the East Coast Greenway between Maine and Florida. The bridge unifies the Delaware and Raritan Canal's towpath that was split by Route US 1.

Although the bridge looks as if it predates the highway, Arora used state-of-the-art engineering and materials to meet project objectives of a durable, low-maintenance structure. The choice of a curved-chord Pratt click to enlarge imagetruss was inspired by railroad bridges constructed during the period in which the D&R Canal was in operation. To further complement the park and the main truss span, steel through-trusses were selected for the approach ramps and substructures were detailed with coursed-rubble, gray sandstone masonry. The structure has been cited by NJDOT and environmentalists as a prime example of Context Sensitive Design.

The project was nominated by NJDOT for New Jersey's 2004 Historic Preservation Awards Program and FHWA's 2004 Excellence in Highway Design. It received the Engineering Excellence award from the American Concrete Institute and Distiguished Award from the American Consulting Engineers Council of New Jersey. The project was complete on schedule at a cost of $3 million.