KS Engineers, P.C. (KSE) served as Lead Designer for the MTA Construction & Development Cherry Valley Avenue Rail Bridge Replacement project, providing final design, staged design submissions, construction phase services, and construction quality assurance support. KSE’s responsibilities included advancing the project through 60%, 90%, and 100% design; developing an alternate bridge replacement concept; preparing structural, track, civil, substructure, and Maintenance and Protection of Traffic design packages; providing jacking design; designing a ballast retainer system; reviewing shop and erection drawings; interpreting design intent during construction; evaluating field-driven modifications; and preparing as-built drawings based on contractor markups.
he project involved replacement of the Cherry Valley Avenue rail bridge, a critical structure supporting MTA railroad operations over an active roadway corridor. In support of the design-build team, KSE evaluated the 30% design provided for the project and developed an innovative alternate design that reused the existing abutments and significantly reduced the overall bridge length. This approach improved constructability, reduced impacts to surrounding infrastructure, and helped accelerate the design and construction schedule while maintaining the operational and structural requirements of the railroad.
To advance the work efficiently, KSE prepared multiple design packages that allowed various elements of the project to proceed on an accelerated basis. These packages included the superstructure, Maintenance and Protection of Traffic, substructures, track, and civil work. This phased packaging strategy supported early construction activities, enabled coordination among disciplines, and provided the contractor with the information needed to sequence work effectively within limited outage and construction windows.
Construction of the substructures began in June 2022 and was completed in August 2022, ahead of school openings and associated traffic constraints. The bridge replacement plan required raising the existing bridge by 3 feet 4 inches over four weekends, with incremental raises of 12 inches, 10 inches, 10 inches, and 8 inches. During a fifth weekend, the existing bridge was removed and replaced with a new steel bridge that provided an additional 6-inch raise, resulting in a total vertical increase of 3 feet 10 inches.
KSE’s design and construction support helped address the complex challenges of working within an active rail environment, maintaining roadway access, coordinating staged bridge raises, and delivering a durable replacement structure within a compressed schedule. The completed project improved vertical clearance, enhanced long-term structural performance, reduced maintenance needs, and strengthened the reliability of this important transportation asset.
The project’s engineering excellence, innovative design approach, and successful accelerated delivery were recognized with the ACEC NJ Award for Engineering Excellence, the ACEC NY Platinum Award for Engineering Excellence, and the ASCE Long Island Branch Project of the Year Award.
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