New Morgan Street Bridge
Rockford, Illinois
When the City of Rockford was making plans to replace the aging Morgan Street Bridge, they envisioned the new bridge as a catalyst that would revitalize an isolated and impoverished area of town. CMT helped shape the vision by applying the principles of context-sensitive solutions to the bridge design process through he use of community focus groups that allowed stakeholders to conceptualize the revitalization plan.
CMT provided preliminary engineering services for a new 532-foot landmark bridge that features many urban landscaping enhancements including period lighting, a bike path, and pedestrian overlooks, all of which will serve to enhance the sense of community in the area. The $19.2 million bridge includes two steel-plate, girder supported and spans, each approximately 116 feet in length. The center span is a tied arch approximately 300 feet in length that connect the Civic Center and historic City Hall with the surrounding urban landscape.
In the spring of 2009, CMT lead a Value Engineering (VE) study that generated numerous cost savings proposals. This effort resulted in consolidation of the IR and CCP rail lines, which allowed closure of four at-grade rail intersections. The soon-to-be abandoned IR right-of-way and rail structure across the Rock River will be converted to a multi-use path. Also included was a sustainable solution for the recycling of materials. The deconstructed material from five nearby industrial buildings, that had previously been marked for demolition, will be transported to the bridge site for use as fill. This will reduce the burden on area landfills and reduce energy and other related costs associated with transporting alternate fill material from a farther distance.
