HNTB performed design and construction management for the two-year Ben Franklin Bridge Port Authority Transit Corporation Track Rehabilitation project, which replaced a 30-year-old commuter track system. The track provides daily service for 35,000 passengers, shuttling them across the historic 1926 suspension bridge that connects Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Camden, New Jersey. The project also included upgraded signals, power and communications as well as structural rehabilitation.

Key to its success were two separate, two-month continuous track outages, which HNTB helped prepare for and successfully implement. During the outages, crews worked around the clock to replace the entire 3 miles of track. This strategy – a first for the Delaware River Port Authority, the bridge’s owner – sped up the project’s completion and helped it remain within budget.

PATCO commuters now travel across the Ben Franklin Bridge on a renewed track system that provides safe, reliable service.

  • Commuter track replacement project delivers renewed system
  • Project staging enables efficient replacement of 3 miles of track
  • HNTB managed design and construction for the project

Location: Delaware River

Client: Delaware River Port Authority