Beaver River Bridge

{{Infobox Bridge

| bridge_name = Beaver River Bridge

| image = PA Turnpike Beaver River Bridge construction, June 2024.jpg

| caption = Construction as seen from Homewood in June 2024

| official_name = Beaver River Bridge

| also_known_as = Beaver Valley Bridge

| carries = {{jct|state=PA|I|76|PATP}}

| crosses = Beaver River

| locale = North Sewickley Township and Big Beaver

| maint =

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| spans = 5

| length = {{convert|1546|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite web |url=http://www.historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=pennsylvania/turnpikebeaver/ |title=Pennsylvania Turnpike Beaver River Bridge |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730085656/http://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=pennsylvania%2Fturnpikebeaver%2F |archivedate=July 30, 2016 |url-status=live |accessdate=October 26, 2016 }}

| width = {{convert|56|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| below = {{convert|170|ft|m|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://www.paturnpike.com/newsletters/summer97/page2-3.htm |title=Over the River and Through Penn's Woods |last=Henry |first=Lowman |publisher=Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission |date=1997 |accessdate=November 8, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220031227/http://www.paturnpike.com/newsletters/summer97/page2-3.htm |archivedate=December 20, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

| lanes = 4

| traffic =

| open = 1952{{cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.com/news/local_news/turnpike-commission-eying-beaver-river-bridge-replacement-project/article_eec1db7d-48e6-5aa8-8555-53fbfec8d3d7.html |title=Turnpike commission eying Beaver River Bridge replacement project |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224070552/http://www.timesonline.com/news/local_news/turnpike-commission-eying-beaver-river-bridge-replacement-project/article_eec1db7d-48e6-5aa8-8555-53fbfec8d3d7.html |archivedate=February 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |accessdate=October 26, 2016 }}

| closed =

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}}

The Beaver River Bridge (also called "Beaver Valley Bridge") is a bridge that carries the Pennsylvania Turnpike across the Beaver River in North Sewickley Township, Pennsylvania. Built in 1951 and opened in 1952, the {{Age|1952|1|1}}-year-old bridge is being replaced with the construction of a new span to its north.{{Cite web |title=Mileposts 12-14 Total Reconstruction |url=https://www.paturnpike.com/traveling/construction/site/mileposts-12-14-total-reconstruction |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=PTC Construction Sites |language=en}} The Beaver River Bridge has a total length of {{convert|1546|ft|m|abbr=on}} and a clearance below of {{convert|170|ft|m|abbr=on}} making it higher than the Delaware River Bridge's {{convert|160|ft|m|abbr=on}} clearance on the PA Turnpike's eastern terminus in Bucks County, but lower than the Hawk Falls Bridge's {{convert|190|ft|m|abbr=on}} clearance on the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension in Carbon County. The Beaver River Bridge is an example of a mid-20th century cantilever deck truss with preservation groups making efforts to save it from demolition as its structural style is becoming rare. About 20,000 vehicles travel across the bridge each day.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Replacement

In 2012, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission set aside nearly $300 million to replace the bridge, and began the design phase of its Milepost 12-14 reconstruction project.{{Cite web|url=https://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_783052.html|title=Turnpike's Beaver River Bridge slated for replacement in 2017|last=Fontaine|first=Tom|date=2012-02-23|website=TribLIVE.com|access-date=2018-12-29}} The project is a part of an ongoing project along the turnpike to widen the road to a minimum of 3 lanes in each direction with larger shoulders and medians. West of the Beaver Valley Interchange, three overhead bridges (a local road bridge and two Norfolk Southern Railway bridges) were replaced to support the widening of the turnpike between 2015 and 2016. Within the Beaver Valley Interchange, an aging ramp bridge was replaced with a temporary span.

The final design of the replacement bridges, completed by Hardesty & Hanover, are two parallel-running beam bridges. Each bridge will carry three {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} travel lanes, one {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} acceleration/deceleration lane for the nearby interchange, and {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} medians and shoulders.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-13 |title=Beaver River Bridge |url=https://www.hardestyhanover.com/projects/beaver-river-bridge/ |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=H&H |language=en-US}} The bridge will be {{convert|1645|ft|m|abbr=on}} long with 5 spans.{{Cite web |url=https://www.shikunusa.com/construction/projects/beaver |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=S&B USA |title=Beaver River Bridge Replacement}}

The adjacent Beaver Valley Interchange at the western end of the bridge is being reconfigured to a partial cloverleaf interchange from the current trumpet interchange design. Formerly, the interchange had a toll booth in the middle, but was removed when this section of the Turnpike became free in the early 2000s.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Additionally, a new bridge for the turnpike over PA 18 will be constructed shortly to the north of the existing bridge. The temporary bridge that was constructed for the trumpet interchange will be removed.

Construction began on the new bridge and interchange in January 2023 and is expected to conclude in November 2026.{{Crossings navbox

|structure = Bridges

|place = Beaver River

|bridge = Beaver River Bridge

|bridge signs = {{jct|state=PA|I|76|PATP}}

|upstream = Fifth Avenue Bridge

|upstream signs = {{jct|state=PA|PA|351}}

|downstream = Eastvale Bridge

|downstream signs = {{jct|state=PA|PA|588}}

}}