Frishkorn Road Bridge Replacement Daugherty Township

Frishkorn Road Bridge Replacement
Daugherty Township, Pennsylvania
Bridge Replacement
Project Team Members:
Owner:
Daugherty Township
Engineer:
Daniel C. Baker Associates, Inc.
Contractor:
Daugherty Township
Technical Description:
• Span:
18-ft.
• Rise: 7-ft.
• Length:
18-ft.
• Product:
Aluminum Box Culvert
Installation Date: 2009
A 70-year-old bridge on Frishkorn Road was in need
of repair and was actively monitored by Daugherty
Township, especially after all major rain events. During
back-to-back storms from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan,
turbulent water flow scoured the foundations and created
an extremely unstable condition. At that time, the bridge
was deemed structurally deficient and in need of total
replacement. Because there was no record of which
agency had constructed the original structure, PennDOT
recommended that the Township take the lead and
use their Liquid Fuels allocation to fund a replacement
structure. In addition, Beaver County recommended that
the Township also apply for funding from the County’s
Community Development Program.
With the bridge badly damaged after the hurricanes,
Daugherty Township acted quickly to commission
Daniel C. Baker Associates, Inc. as the project engineer to
design a replacement bridge and to obtain all required
environmental permits for the project. A complete
closure of the structure to traffic was warranted to
avoid a catastrophic failure. In order for residents and
Emergency Management Services to maintain access to
the rural residential area, a temporary roadway bypass was
constructed to provide residents with an alternate route.
“The residents of Frishkorn Road were reassured by the Township that they would not go without
reliable access to and from their homes and that there would be no lapse in service,” stated
800-338-1122 • www.ContechES.com
© 2012 Contech Engineered Solutions LLC
David Lodovico Jr., Daugherty Township Manager. “The
temporary bypass and the replacement of this bridge was
vital to keeping this commitment.”
Daniel C. Baker Associates, Inc. consulted with Contech
who submitted a bid for an 18’ x 7’ x 18’ long Aluminum
Box Culvert. Although the bridge remained a singlelane, the width was increased by 4’, allowing for a more
comfortable vehicle passage. The plate structure allowed
for a quick installation with the Township’s own forces and
provided a major cost savings for the Township.
“The biggest obstacle was the cost,” added Lodovico. “By
doing the work ourselves, it took a little longer to complete
the project, but the cost savings were tremendous.”
In addition, the crown of the new structure was placed at
a higher elevation in order to pass a 100-year flood event.
This is a significant improvement over the old bridge
which became inundated in a 25-year storm. The resulting
roadway alignment also improved the site distance and
increased the overall safety of the area.
Daugherty Township was recognized for this bridge
replacement project at the 28th Annual Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest and received
the runner-up award.
“We are grateful for the award’s acknowledgement but my personal hope is that it will encourage
other small communities to take on similar projects that they think they can’t afford or do on their
own,” concluded Lodovico. “We won one for the ‘little guy.’ We see this award as a badge of honor for
small townships.”
800-338-1122 • www.ContechES.com
© 2012 Contech Engineered Solutions LLC