Merchant Street Bridge ProjectNorfolk Southern Bridge PC-1.20 over Merchant Street

Online Public MeetingJuly 27 – August 26, 2020

PROJECT TEAM• Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR)• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

(PennDOT)• Michael Baker International

Direct project questions to:NSPghMerchant@gmail.com orRudy Husband 412.893.7041

PROJECT OVERVIEW• The Merchant Street Bridge Project is a stand-alone, on-alignment bridge

replacement project involving Norfolk Southern Bridge PC-1.20 over Merchant Street in the City of Pittsburgh's North Side.

• The Merchant Street Bridge was constructed in 1905 by the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago division of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

• This presentation allows for coordination with the public to obtain feedback on the Merchant Street Bridge Project and to meet Pennsylvania Act 120 and Pennsylvania History Code requirements for state-funded transportation projects.

• The Merchant Street Bridge Project is being partially funded by a PennDOT grant; it is separate and distinct from the Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Projects.

• Any comments relating to the Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Projects will be addressed as appropriate as part of the public involvement process for those projects.

PROJECT LOCATION MAP

Project Location

PROJECT LOCATION MAP

PROJECT PURPOSE• The purpose of the Merchant Street Bridge Project is to maintain safe

freight and passenger rail operations along the Fort Wayne Line to continue the efficient transportation of goods and people between Chicago and the New York/New Jersey commercial markets.

• The bridge structure has reached the end of its useful life and engineering inspections have identified a need to address these problems in order to maintain safe interstate rail transportation along the Fort Wayne Line.

• The bridge carrying the Fort Wayne Line over Merchant Street has safety deficiencies that have the potential to create risks to current rail traffic and forecasted rail traffic increases throughout the United States and within Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh region.

PROJECT NEEDSafety and reliability:

• Address deteriorated condition caused by extensive steel corrosion in cross-girders, columns, and riveted trough structure.

• The superstructure’s poor condition may pose a safety hazard to the railroad and traveling public.

• Failures could lead to interruption of roadway and railroad transportation.

Facility deficiencies:• Limit disruptions to interstate rail traffic and minimize future

maintenance costs and by improving the structural deficiencies of the Merchant Street Bridge.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS• Railroad operations will remain in service throughout

construction except for necessary specific outages arranged in advance.

• Construction will require closure of Merchant Street to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic; the detour routes will be in place for 6-8 months.

• Overhead bridge work must be completed before all other work is initiated.

• Provide 11’-3” of vertical clearance for the roadway under the bridge for the safe passage of emergency vehicles and buses.

• Minimize project effects on historic properties.

EXISTING BRIDGE• Two-span superstructure consists of two,

skewed, built-up, riveted steel through girders with a ballast-deck composed of a riveted steel trough floor system.

• Varies in length from about 55' to 62' along the skew and varies in width from about 116' to 124'.

• Substructure consists of sandstone masonry abutments and one intermediate steel multi-column bent.

• The steel bent is comprised of six riveted, built-up cross-girders and seven built-up columns, with riveted lattice bracing, set on granite pedestal blocks.

Note: Marion Avenue renamed to Merchant Street.

EXISTING BRIDGE

View of south side of bridge from Merchant Street.

EXISTING BRIDGE

View of north side of bridge from Merchant Street. Note: The utility bridge in the foreground will

remain in place and is not part of the project. View of north side of the bridge, retaining wall, and Allegheny Commons from Merchant Street.

EXISTING BRIDGE

View of Merchant Street under existing bridge showing steel bent and east abutment. View of Merchant Street sidewalk under

existing bridge.

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONOn-alignment replacement of Norfolk Southern Bridge PC-1.20 over Merchant Street.• Railway project limits: 55’ • Replace the steel superstructure

• Remove existing superstructure, steel column bent, and bent foundation• Construct new single span, welded steel, through-girder and rolled I-beam

superstructure• Modify abutments with new concrete bridge seats and backwalls• Roadway project limits: 650’ along Merchant Street• Lower road profile to increase roadway vertical clearance to 11’-3”• Drainage and utility upgrades on Merchant Street within project limits• Sidewalk/roadway replacement• Installation of street and underdeck lighting

TRACK ELEVATIONSPennsylvania Ave. OHPC-1.844Sta. 43+59Elev. 750.302’

North Ave. OHPC-1.619Sta. 31.+98Elev. 744.499’

W. Ohio St. OHPC-1.346

Merchant St. UGPC-1.193Sta. 9+99Elev. 748.705’

UNDERCUT TIE IN PC-1.394Sta. 20+38Elev. 744.53’

MilepostPC-1.0Sta. 0+00Elev. 751.731’

UNDERCUT AT NORTH(LOW POINT)PC-1.619Sta. 31+98Elev. 741.00’

EXISTING TOP-OF-RAIL ELEVATIONS(red)

POTENTIAL TRACK UNDERCUT ZONE*TOP-OF-RAILELEVATIONS (blue)

UNDERCUT ATPENNSYLVANIA AVE.PC-1.844Sta. 43+59Elev. 747.54’

UNDERCUT TIE IN PC-2.165Sta. 60+38Elev. 758.09’

* NSR has not determined if track lowering is feasible.

Exhibit Depicting Potential Top-of-Rail Elevations for Nearby ProjectsAny potential track lowering changes that may occur from other nearby bridge projects, including the separate Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Projects, will not affect the Merchant Street Bridge Project

PROJECT PLANS

PROJECT PLANS

TYPICAL SECTIONS

The typical section will be described in more detail on the

next slides.

ADVISORY BIKE LANES• An advisory bicycle lane, or ABL, is a roadway striping configuration

that provides for two-way motor vehicle and non-motorized traffic using a center lane and “advisory” or edge lanes on either side.

• The center lane is dedicated to and shared by motorists traveling in both directions. Vulnerable road users (VRUs), such as cyclists or pedestrians, have right-of-way in the edge lanes but motorists can use the edge lanes, after yielding to the VRUs there, to pass oncoming vehicles.

• This roadway configuration originated in the Netherlands over 50 years ago and has been used on many hundreds of road-kilometers in the Netherlands alone. The ABL concept has worked well in many countries and in cities across the United States.

Courtesy of FHWA: https://www.advisorybikelanes.com/

ADVISORY BIKE LANES – EXAMPLES

Courtesy of FHWA: https://www.advisorybikelanes.com/

PROJECT QUICK FACTSEXISTING CONDITIONS• 2 span bridge• Face to Face of Abutment Length: 35’• Bridge Width: Varies 116-124'• 4 tracks carried on bridge• 2 - 11’-6" lanes (23’ width) with

bicycle "sharrow" markings• Sidewalk varies 4’-6" to 9’• Existing roadway vertical clearance

9’-0”

PROPOSED PROJECT• Single span bridge (pier removed)• Face to Face of Abutment Length: 35’• Bridge Width: 110'• 4 tracks carried on bridge• 1 - 11’-6" bi-directional lane with 2 - 5’-

9" advisory bike lanes (23’ width)• Sidewalk varies 6’ to 10’• Proposed roadway vertical clearance

11-3”• Improved lighting

PROJECT RENDERING

PROJECT RENDERING

MERCHANT STREET VEHICULAR DETOURVehicle Detour: 0.9 Miles- Shown in red

- 5 Minute trip

2.4 Miles- Shown in blue- 8 min trip time

MERCHANT STREET PEDESTRIAN & BICYCLE DETOUR

Pedestrian and Bicycle Detour: 1.0 Mile- 17-minute trip time walking

- 6-minute trip time bicycling

NOISE AND AIR QUALITY• The Merchant Street Bridge Project would not result in any

significant effect on noise and air quality.• The on-alignment replacement of the Merchant Street

Bridge would not significantly affect air emissions except for the minor temporary emissions relating to construction equipment.

• An on-alignment replacement of a bridge with one of identical capacity is not something that would change the noise-generating source; therefore, the Merchant Street Bridge Project will not significantly change the noise levels relative to the existing condition.

HISTORIC PROPERTIES • The Merchant Street Bridge contributes to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)-eligible Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line (Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line) Railroad Corridor Historic District, which is significant under NRHP Criteria A and C in the areas of transportation, economy, and the development of Pennsylvania’s industries and communities.

• Allegheny Commons Historic District is listed in the NRHP under Criterion A in the area of Community Planning and Development and under Criterion C in the area of Landscape Architecture. Allegheny Commons is the oldest public park in Pittsburgh and the city’s only formal urban park.

Merchant Street, May 22, 1931

PROJECT EFFECTS ON HISTORIC PROPERTIES• The bridge replacement project will adversely affect the Pennsylvania

Railroad: Main Line (Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line) Railroad Corridor Historic District because of the demolition of the Merchant Street Bridge.

• The project will not adversely affect Allegheny Commons Historic District. If temporary construction easements are needed for project access, the land will be restored to its original condition after construction.

• In compliance with Pennsylvania’s History Code, NSR and PennDOT will continue to meet with consulting parties to develop appropriate measures to minimize and mitigate adverse effects on the Pennsylvania Railroad: Main Line (Pittsburgh to Ohio State Line) Railroad Corridor Historic District.

PROPOSED SCHEDULEEnvironmental Compliance• Complete Consulting Party Process (Estimated Fall 2020)• Submit Environmental Document (Fall/Winter 2020)

• Anticipated Approval – Winter 2020/2021

Construction• Begin - Spring 2021• Anticipated Completion - Fall 2021

COMMENT FORMPlease complete the comment form at the link on the website in order to provide feedback regarding the Merchant Street Bridge Project.

http://www.nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/in-your-community/the-pittsburgh-vertical-clearance-projects/public-involvement-process--

merchant-street-bridge-project--.html

The comment form will be available from July 27 through August 26, 2020.

Note: Any comments related to the Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Projects will be addressed as part of the Pittsburgh Vertical Clearance Projects’ public involvement process.