American Tobacco Trail Bridge receives ACEC Award

Durham, N.C. — The new American Tobacco Trail Pedestrian Bridge in Durham, N.C., received a Grand Award from the North Carolina chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC/NC) as part of the organization’s 2015 Engineering Excellence Awards program. 

The ACEC/NC competition recognizes outstanding projects designed by private practice engineering firms from across the state. Parsons Brinckerhoff served as Project Manager for the American Tobacco Trail Bridge from concept to construction completion, working on behalf of the City of Durham. The firm was responsible for the design of the bridge, as well as the foundations, electrical system, lighting, trail, drainage, erosion control, and traffic control.

The new pedestrian bridge is the centerpiece of the final four-mile segment of the American Tobacco Trail, connecting two sections of a 22-mile rails-to-trails project, the longest in the state of North Carolina. The bridge provides safe bike and pedestrian passage over Interstate 40 near The Streets at Southpoint, a popular shopping, dining, and entertainment destination.

The American Tobacco Trail Pedestrian Bridge is a self-anchored structure that combines a concrete stressed ribbon deck with steel arch ribs. With a span of 210 feet between arch supports, it is the longest span of its kind in North America and one of only two hybrid stressed ribbon pedestrian bridges in the US. The overall length of the stressed ribbon deck is 268 feet.