Modjeski and Masters provides design services for Commodore Barry Bridge

Mechanicsburg, Pa. — Bridge design and engineering firm Modjeski and Masters will lead a team providing design services to the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) for the inspection and rehabilitation of the Commodore Barry Bridge. The project includes the substructure, miscellaneous superstructure elements and proactive health monitoring of the bridge.

The Commodore Barry Bridge is the longest steel cantilever bridge in the United States and fourth longest in the world. It has a total length of 13,921 feet with a main span of 1,644 feet. It consists of 77 spans, which include 63 steel multi-girder spans, 11 deck truss spans and three continuous cantilever through-trusses. The bridge is one of four main Delaware River crossings, owned and operated by DRPA, that connect New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia metro area.

“Modjeski and Masters has a long history and deep familiarity with DRPA bridges,” said Michael F. Britt, PE, senior vice president and director of business development at Modjeski and Masters. “That familiarity allows us to better collaborate with DRPA and deliver projects more efficiently. That’s important for a bridge that is as complex as Commodore Barry so that we can keep traffic flowing and the bridge maintained for the long term.”

The current project will extend from east to west abutment and include river piers, 11 deck truss spans, six ramp stinger spans, 63 approach stinger truss spans and two overpass stinger spans on US Rt. 130. Modjeski and Masters will develop a final design package, including plans, specifications, cost estimates and a construction schedule, for the needed repairs. The DRPA will then use the documents to solicit bids from construction contractors to accomplish the needed repairs.

Modjeski and Masters recently worked for DRPA to inspect the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman and Betsy Ross Bridges. The firm has an over 90-year history with DRPA, beginning with Modjeski and Masters co-founder Ralph Modjeski’s design of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

For more information on Modjeski and Masters’ truss bridge services, visit https://modjeski.com/Services/detail.aspx?service=Truss.