CARBON COUNTY, PA — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission cut the ribbon Tuesday on a new $88 million Hawk Falls Bridge along the Northeast Extension, replacing a decades-old structure as traffic volumes on the corridor climb above pre-pandemic levels.
The new bridge, located at milepost 88.59 near Hickory Run State Park in Carbon County, carries two lanes of traffic in each direction and includes expanded shoulders and medians intended to improve safety and emergency access for the more than 24,000 vehicles that use the corridor daily.
The opening marks a major milestone in a replacement project that began in 2022 and forms part of the Turnpike Commission’s broader infrastructure modernization program, which has directed hundreds of millions of toll dollars into bridge replacements, reconstruction work, and open-road tolling projects across Pennsylvania.
“Addressing aging infrastructure is one of Pennsylvania’s top priorities,” Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary and Turnpike Commission Chairman Michael Carroll said during the ceremony. “Every Pennsylvanian deserves a safe and reliable transportation network.”
The replacement bridge stands nearly 200 feet above Mud Run Gorge and stretches 720 feet across the site. Its 465-foot main span is supported by three steel arches. The structure replaces a steel deck truss bridge originally designed in the 1950s.
The Turnpike Commission said the bridge was designed to reduce long-term maintenance costs through the use of weathering steel and elimination of expansion joints. The structure also includes integrated lighting, electrical systems, ventilation systems, and internal access wiring intended to simplify future inspections.
The project also reconstructed the nearby Hickory Run Road Bridge in Penn Forest and Kidder townships.
Engineering firm Modjeski and Masters, which designed the original Hawk Falls Bridge, served as lead designer on the replacement project. Trumbull Corp. handled construction work, while STV oversaw demolition and construction management activities.
According to the Turnpike Commission, construction required 3,304 tons of structural steel, 4,800 cubic yards of concrete, and more than 1.1 million pounds of reinforcing steel. Large cranes used to assemble the arches required approximately 70 tractor-trailer loads each for delivery and onsite assembly.
Traffic shifted onto the new bridge in May. Demolition of the old structure is scheduled to begin next month, with final project completion expected this fall.
The Hawk Falls project recently received a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies, according to the commission.
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