Hamburg Turnpike Twin Span Bridge

This twin span bridge carries Paterson Hamburg Turnpike over the Wanaque River in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. YU & Associates, Inc. (YU) provided geotechnical engineering services for the foundation evaluation for the rehabilitated bridge deck and abutments. The original bridge was constructed in 1900, and subsequent roadway widening was made in 1925. Only incomplete old foundation plans were available. The initial design called for the complete demolition and reconstruction of all piers and abutments. YU performed additional borings, reviewed historic and new design drawings, and developed alternative foundation design concepts and recommendations to economize the foundation systems. The alternative design recommendations involved the use of smaller size abutment and lightweight aggregate backfill to keep the new loads on the existing foundations lower than the former loads, thereby eliminating the need for driving additional and long piles.