York and Cumberland Counties, PA
Project Background:
The Slate Hill Road Bridge was built between 1859 and 1860. Serving as York County’s bridge engineer, C.S. Davidson, Inc. observed and documented the continued deterioration of the structure during annual bridge inspections.
The arches had settled and twisted due to water penetration, causing cracking and stones dropping toward the stream. These conditions worsened because approximately 1,650 vehicles used the bridge daily when the structure was originally constructed for horse and carriage transportation.
Before Rehabilitation:
Recognizing the historical value of the Antebellum Bridge and its eligibility for the National Historic Register, C.S. Davidson, Inc. took steps to preserve the structure’s historical significance.
Since the infrastructure spans Yellow Breeches Creek, work could not occur between March 1 and June 15 to protect the spawning trout. In addition, wetlands were identified on the project site, so measures were put in place to protect this resource. It is a boating stream, so a detour for kayakers and tubers was created around the project site.
Services Provided:
C.S. Davidson, Inc. was responsible for designing the large-scale deconstruction and reconstruction of the historic structure, construction phase services, and construction inspection during the rehabilitation. We completed the field survey, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection permitting, roadway design, detour plans, utility coordination, right-of-way acquisition, and structure design. In addition, we coordinated with subconsultants who completed wetland delineation and bog turtle studies, cultural resources evaluation, coordination with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, geotechnical investigations, and historic mortar analysis. All work complied with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Structures. Upon completion of the design work, we administered the public bid for the project on the PennBID platform before completing the construction administration and inspection services.
After Rehabilitation:
