In conjunction with a sidewalk connectivity project, the City of Charlotte proposed a pedestrian sidewalk to be added to the existing vehicle bridge on Margaret Wallace Road over McAlpine Creek. The sidewalk was proposed to be seven feet wide and divided from traffic by a cast-in-place concrete barrier. Armstrong Glen was tasked with analyzing the existing bridge deck to see if a sidewalk addition would be feasible, given the additional loading on the bridge deck. Armstrong Glen produced a detailed structural analysis report, showing that asphalt could be removed from the deck before additional sidewalk was added, in order to prevent exceeding the current loading conditions. Armstrong Glen also provided information pertaining to serviceability of the bridge deck, drainage considerations, and several options for separating vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Based on Armstrong Glen’s report, the City of Charlotte determined that narrowing the traffic area on the bridge would not be feasible. Armstrong Glen was asked to design a separate pedestrian bridge adjacent to the vehicle bridge. The pedestrian bridge is currently in design phase. It will have a deck width of eight feet and a span of 130 feet. It will be supported on concrete abutments. Significant fill will be needed to bring the new sidewalk up to bridge deck level.
