Forty Foot Pedestrian Bridge — Aesthetics Integral to Structure, Towamencin Township, PA

Forty Foot Road Pedestrian Bridge is an 80-foot long by 40-foot wide, signature bridge completed in 2007 over a five lane, Pennsylvania state highway. The bridge is the centerpiece of a "context sensitive design" highway infrastructure project to create transportation improvements through a redeveloping town center. This project: 1) Incorporates aesthetics as a priority program element early in the planning phase. 2) Integrates aesthetics into the engineering design of the structure throughout the design process — as an alternative to "applying" façade treatments after engineering. 3) Exploits aesthetic capabilities of materials and individual features by specifically showcasing concrete as the preferred structural and artistic material to achieve economy, longevity, and a seamless aesthetic between the bridge design and site elements. 4) Offers innovative engineering to create a primary architectural "fascia" beam design. 5) Sculpts the approaches to create a seamless landscape-bridge aesthetic, featuring sloped unit "paver" retaining walls supported by geogrid reinforcement.