Akron Drive over Norfolk Southern Railroad (B-4746)

The B-4746 project, for NCDOT, was a $5.4 million bridge replacement project located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This project replaced a designated historic bridge, built in 1928, that was becoming structurally obsolete and did not provide accommodations for efficient traffic flow. DRMP provided bridge design services for the replacement of the existing 6-span bridge on Akron Drive over the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The existing facility accommodated two lanes of traffic with sidewalks on both sides and served mixed residential and commercial areas.

The historic structure included long arches, decorative panels on the barriers, and lamp posts with obelisks.The replacement structure includes two traffic lanes with sidewalks on both sides and added turn lanes to relieve periodic congestion.

Coordination with the railroad led to a reduced bridge length that utilizes a 160-foot long steel plate girder to span the tracks while eliminating the existing intermediate piers and crash walls. Several aesthetic enhancements, such as decorative railings and weathering steel, were included as part of the replacement structure to help maintain the historic character of the bridge for the surrounding community.