15306 | Sellers Avenue Bridge Over Amtrak and SEPTA Wilmington Newark Rail Line (Ridley Park Borough, Delaware County)

The superstructure of the Sellers Avenue Bridge over Amtrak will be replaced while reusing the existing stone abutments. The new superstructure and reused stone masonry abutments will be designed in accordance with current AASHTO and PennDOT design criteria and will be compliant with Amtrak’s requirements for the railroad protective barrier and fencing in proximity to the railroad. Amtrak requires a solid face barrier on the bridge with a minimum 8’-0” height from the top of the sidewalk, capped with curved fencing a minimum of 1’-6” high, for a total height of 9’-6” above the sidewalk.
The roadway profile is expected to be raised with minor changes to sidewalks and vegetation. In an effort to minimize impacts to the Borough and the historic district, the change in the roadway profile has been lessened through coordination with Amtrak. Amtrak allowed the minimum vertical clearance (MVC) (currently proposed to be 20’-3”) to be significantly less than what is typically required (24’-3”). Replacement of the bridge will require the construction of one new catenary support structure on the west side of the bridge and the rerouting of catenary wires and the relocation of railroad signals. Existing utilities will need to be supported and service will need to be maintained during construction. The new bridge design will accommodate the existing utilities at this location. The project will also upgrade the existing signal layout at the intersection of Sellers and Swarthmore Avenues to bring it to current standards and install
emergency pre-emptive equipment. Emergency pre-emptive equipment will also be installed on the existing signal equipment at the intersection of East Ridley and Swarthmore Avenues.
A final alternative for bridge rehabilitation or replacement is determined upon federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or state Categorical Exclusion clearance.