The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) identified the existing three-span Pequea #5 Bridge as structurally deficient, so Lancaster County set out to replace it and concurrently address other important public concerns. Specific project goals included eliminating the piers to reduce maintenance costs, accommodating the Amish community, preserving the rural historic district, to which the bridge was a contributing resource, and the design itself respecting nearby high-value agricultural farmland.

An expert in the PennDOT project delivery process, RETTEW delivered a single-span bridge design to eliminate stream debris collection. We designed around archaeologically sensitive areas and coordinated with the Amish community through a series of project meetings, keeping them aware of the latest project progress. In a first-of-its-kind agreement between PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, RETTEW mitigated the project impact on the rural historic district by providing the old bridge’s unique architectural pattern onto the new bridge, greatly expediting the necessary agency approvals.