Mercer County Bridge Featured by Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance

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Hot-dip galvanized steel delivered a quick bridge replacement with superior long-term performance for Mercer County, as featured in a recent case study on the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance website.  HRG assisted with the design and permitting for this bridge, and construction was completed in January 2024.  The existing 85-foot long bridge was weight-restricted, and Mercer County wanted to replace it before the bridge had to be closed altogether.

HRG’s team chose structural steel for the new bridge superstructure for a number of reasons: The existing bridge abutments were being reused, and structural steel would help us match the weight of the existing bridge sitting on the abutments.  It would also help us avoid increasing the overall height of the beams and deck.  This was important because our hydraulic analysis had indicated an increase in the overall depth would have required a joint permit between the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps of Engineers, which would’ve increased the timeline of the project.

Hot dip galvanizing the steel provides a longer service life than simply painting the steel.  It has excellent corrosion protection and is a low-maintenance, long-lasting solution. The bridge was fabricated by Quality Bridge & Fab, Inc., and V&S Galvanizing galvanized the steel elements.  Horizon Construction Group served as contractor.

You can read more about the project on the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance website by clicking on the linked photo below:

Photo of short span steel bridge over creek with bare trees and blue skys

SHORTSPANSTEELBRIDGES.ORG
Pennsylvania County Selects Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel for Urgent Bridge Project

Justin Peaslee Named Morgantown Transportation Group Manager

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We’re pleased to share that Justin Peaslee was recently promoted Justin Peaslee wearing a black suit coat, white shirt, and yellow tie.to transportation group manager in our Morgantown office. In this role, he is responsible for managing staffing, workloads and resource allocation so that the Morgantown transportation team continues to deliver high quality projects and superior client satisfaction. This includes monitoring project schedules and budgets while enhancing the employee owner culture and supporting the professional growth of transportation team members.

Justin has seven years of experience at HRG and most recently served as transportation team leader.  He is a member of the American Society of Military Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Jeff Mikesic Named Assistant Vice President, Transportation

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Jeff MikesicHRG has promoted Jeff Mikesic to assistant vice president, overseeing the firm’s transportation service offerings. The position was created as part of an ongoing organizational realignment to scale the firm for growth while preserving its commitment to technical excellence and personalized service.  The realignment creates unique channels for client outreach, technical expertise, and operational delivery, ensuring each gets proper focus and attention.

Mikesic’s position is part of the channel focused on technical expertise.  As such, he will be responsible for driving quality and consistency in project delivery across the organization by ensuring best practices are implemented across all transportation teams and ensuring staff members get the training they need to meet evolving industry standards.  He will also foster a collaborative, results-driven culture in the transportation group.

Mikesic joined the company more than 25 years ago as a CADD Technician and steadily earned increasing responsibility due to his strong commitment to the success of his clients and HRG. He has managed a wide variety of roadway, bridge, and capital improvement planning projects and is a member of the American Society of Highway Engineers.

Erin Threet, HRG’s vice president of services, says, “Jeff is a solid, reliable, and smart engineer with strong technical skills across all aspects of our transportation service offerings.  He is a natural leader who was already performing many of the responsibilities this role requires in his previous role as transportation practice area leader, so I have full confidence he will do an excellent job.”

Bridgeport Transportation and Land Use Study Receives Planning Award

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HRG was part of a team that was honored this week at the Places 2040 Planning Leadership Awards. Our project, the Bridgeport Transportation and Land Use Study, was recognized in the Thinking Beyond Borders category. Thinking Beyond Borders is one of five “Big Ideas” in Lancaster County’s comprehensive plan (otherwise known as places2040). It promotes cooperation across traditional boundaries to achieve regional goals, and the Bridgeport Transportation and Land Use Study exemplifies this approach.

Bridgeport began as a historic village and gateway for travel between Lancaster’s city neighborhoods and its rural landscapes, dating as far back as the 1800s. Today, it encompasses portions of four municipalities: the City of Lancaster and East Lampeter, West Lampeter, and Lancaster Townships. These four municipalities worked together on a shared vision for the area’s transportation infrastructure, trails, and land use policies in order to enhance walkability, reduce congestion, and create vibrant spaces for the community to enjoy.

HRG provided transportation planning services and cost estimates for the creation of this study. Derck & Edson led public engagement and provided streetscape and land planning services. Town Planning Partnership, LLC, assisted with land planning and public engagement. All municipalities and the Lancaster County Planning Department provided representatives for the steering committee. Over 800 local community members provided essential input/feedback as part of the planning effort.

We’re humbled to be recognized among so many great projects at the Places 2040 award ceremony, and we’re thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this project team.

Bridgeport Transportationa and Land Use Study team accepts the Places2040 planning leadership award

(L-R) Bob Shenk, Steve Hackett (Derck & Edson), Ryan Hostetter (HRG), Cindy McCormick (City of Lancaster), Tara Hitchens (East Lampeter Township), Mark Evans (Derck & Edson, Town Planning Partners), Terry Martin (Lancaster County Planning Commission), Ben Bamford (Lancaster County Planning Commission)

 

 

Steve Malesker Joins HRG as Senior Project Manager

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Steve MaleskerSteve Malesker recently joined HRG as a senior project manager in our Transportation Group.  He is responsible for bridge design and inspection projects throughout the south-central counties of Pennsylvania.

Steve has extensive experience managing bridge inspection, replacement, and maintenance programs for York and Franklin Counties as well as Gettysburg Borough and many other municipalities. Steve has also served as a project manager for civil and municipal projects and as the retained municipal and bridge engineer of record for several municipalities in Central PA. He is a licensed professional engineer and certified bridge safety inspector with more than 20 years of experience.

Steve lives in Dallastown and is a board member of the Dallastown-Yoe Water Authority.  He is also a member of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design and the American Institute of Steel Construction.

“Steve is a talented and accomplished engineer, and his skills will be a great asset as we continue to grow our presence in the transportation markets across the commonwealth,” Tim Staub said.  Staub is an assistant vice president of HRG and manager of the firm’s York office.

(View Steve’s full bio here.)

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services.  The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 250 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com

 

Orrs Bridge is Open to the Public

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The HRG team was all-smiles yesterday, as we celebrated the opening of Orrs Bridge.  This structure is a vital connection in the transportation network of Pennsylvania’s fastest growing county, and we’re excited to see the vision we worked on with local officials and community members come to life.  Nearly 10,000 vehicles crossed the previous bridge daily to get from their homes to businesses along Carlisle Pike and Wertzville Road, but the aging structure was deteriorating rapidly. Weight restrictions limited the ability of emergency vehicles ands school buses to access nearby homes, and curves on either side of the alignment created sight distance issues for drivers entering and exiting the bridge.  HRG designed a new structure with wider lanes and ADA-accessible sidewalk to improve pedestrian access. We also created a new alignment for the bridge that vastly improves safety for drivers.  It combines the curves on both roadway approaches into one continuous curve.  Thank you to Cumberland County for the opportunity to work with you on this project, and thank you to all of the people whose contributions made this effort a success!

Click through the photo album above to see a few highlights from the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Route 39 Intersection Improvements Honored with Road & Bridge Safety Award

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West Hanover Township received a Road & Bridge Safety Award Friday for improvements that HRG designed at the intersection of Route 39 with Douglas and Devonshire Heights Roads. This location had been the site of several rear-end and angle accidents due to poor intersection alignment and sight distance deficiencies.  HRG realigned the intersection, installed a northbound right turn lane along Route 39, enhanced advance signing and pavement markings, and installed a flashing yellow control beacon.  We also increased the separation between this intersection and a second intersection where Douglas Road met Devonshire Heights Road. This second intersection had been less than 100 feet away from the Route 39 intersection, creating the opportunity for confusion and conflict between drivers.

Our civil practice area leader Matt Bonanno and our traffic team leader Eric Stump attended a brief ceremony at the intersection where West Hanover Township received their award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA) and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. You can view the ceremony below:

 

 

You can also see photos of the project by clicking through this slideshow:

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ABOUT THE ROAD & BRIDGE SAFETY AWARD

The Road & Bridge Safety Award is given annually to townships that have completed road or bridge improvements in the prior year that increased public safety.  It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, and PennDOT.

Jeff Mikesic Promoted to Transportation Practice Area Leader

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Jeff MikesicHerbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce that Jeffrey A. Mikesic, P.E., has been promoted to practice area leader for the firm’s Transportation Group.

He will have four areas of primary responsibility: vision and strategy, professional development of staff, project delivery, and business development. As the leader of the Transportation Group, he will monitor technical and regulatory trends related to roads, bridges, traffic management, rail and aviation for the firm’s public and private sector clients. He will translate those trends into a coherent strategy for meeting client needs, and he will empower staff to execute that strategy through communication, culture, and professional development initiatives.  He will also ensure projects are delivered in conformance with the firm’s Quality Management Plan and will continue to serve as project manager for key clients and complex projects.  In addition, he will support business development activities across HRG’s entire service area.

Mikesic joined HRG in 1998 as a CADD technician. Over the next six years, he attended classes nights and weekends to obtain his civil engineering technology degree from Point Park University. Thanks to that strong work ethic and commitment to personal growth, he steadily earned increasing responsibility at HRG through several promotions. He was named a staff professional in 2005 and a project manager in 2012, and he most recently served as a team leader before being promoted to practice area leader.

“Jeff exemplifies the ideal employee-owner at HRG. He has always looked for new ways to grow and contribute to HRG’s success, and this has made him a very valuable member of the team.  He will be an exceptional leader for the Transportation Group because his experience gives him unique insight into the role every member of the group plays.”

 – Andrew Kenworthy, Chief Operating Officer

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Cumberland County Receives Safety Award for Craighead Bridge

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Cumberland County has been recognized with a Road & Bridge Safety Award for the Craighead Bridge replacement project. The award is given jointly each year by the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, and PennDOT to the best road and bridge safety improvement projects undertaken by county governments across the state.

The county’s director of planning, Kirk Stoner, accepted the award on behalf of the commissioners at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania Conference in Gettysburg yesterday.

Craighead Bridge Wins County Road and Bridge Safety Award

(From left) Jason W. Wagner, Managing Director, Pennsylvania Highway Information Association; Brian D. Emberg, retired Senior Vice President, Herbert Rowland and Grubic, Inc.; Kirk Stoner, AICP, Director of Planning, Cumberland County; Fred Thompson, Vice President, Kinsley Construction; Phil Royer, Estimator/Project Manager, Kinsley Construction; James D. Ritzman, PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Planning; and County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania President and Lancaster County Commissioner Dennis Stuckey.

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. designed the replacement bridge for Cumberland County, which improves safety for local residents in several ways:

  • The new bridge is stronger and replaces one with more than 100 years of wear and tear.
  • The new bridge can safely carry two lanes of traffic, where the previous bridge could only carry one.
  • Back-ups and rear-end collisions had occurred frequently at the original bridge and have been eliminated by the new bridge.
  • The replacement bridge was built on a new alignment that gives drivers a better view of oncoming traffic.
  • The new bridge has a flared intersection where Zion Road meets Old York Road. This makes it easier for drivers to turn onto and off of the bridge.
  • The new bridge has no weight restrictions, and its improved sight distance and turning radii make it easier for emergency vehicles, school buses, and delivery trucks to reach local residents.

The original Craighead Bridge held a special place in the heart of the community and is even featured on the South Middleton Township seal. The county struck a deal with a non-profit organization to preserve the original bridge for bike and pedestrian use, so that future generations can continue to connect with this historic fixture along the Yellow Breeches creek. Local residents get the safety and convenience of a modern bridge while preserving the charm and memories of the original bridge.

Craighead Bridge before replacement

Original Bridge

Craighead Bridge

New Bridge

 

ABOUT CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Cumberland County is the fastest growing county in the Commonwealth and offers the perfect mix of small town,
suburban and rural living. Established in 1750, Cumberland County consistently maintains one of the lowest tax
and unemployment rates in the State, while providing exceptional services for its more than 250,000 residents. More
information on Cumberland County can be found at www.ccpa.net

ABOUT HRG
HRG is a nationally ranked Top 500 Design Firm, providing civil engineering, surveying and environmental services to public and private sector clients. The 200-person employee-owned firm currently has office locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Park Boulevard Realignment and Fort Hunter Park Enhancements Honored as Premier Projects by Dauphin County

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce that two of our projects have been selected by Dauphin County in its annual Premier Projects award program.

Since its inception six years ago, the Dauphin County Premier Projects program has honored more than two dozen projects that promote smart growth and spark revitalization throughout the region. Among this year’s honorees, HRG provided engineering services for two of them: enhancements to Fort Hunter Park and realignment of Park Boulevard.

Park Boulevard

A broad range of local leaders from Derry Township, Dauphin County, and area businesses worked together on the realignment of Park Boulevard to support future economic development in Hershey.  The new roadway provides several safety improvements:

  • It replaces a 60-year old bridge over Spring Creek, which was structurally deficient and weight-restricted.
  • It converts a narrow roadway beneath the Norfolk-Southern underpass from two-way traffic to one-way traffic. This reduces the potential for vehicular accidents and allows for the installation of a sidewalk that is segregated from through traffic.
  • It improves emergency response time by adding a roadway connection from northbound Park Boulevard.  (Previously, first responders had to drive a circuitous route through several intersections to access this area. Now crews can reach the area 2-3 minutes faster.)
  • It provides a new shared-use sidewalk that will enhance safety for pedestrians traveling to Hershey’s attractions from downtown.
  • It adds a safe zone for people boarding and exiting buses at the Hershey Intermodal Transportation Center. This zone is physically protected from through-traffic.

Park Boulevard realignment wins Premier Project award

Front Row: Chuck Emerick, Matt Weir, John Foley, Susan Cort, Justin Engle
Back Row: Chris Brown, Patrick O’Rourke, John Payne, Brian Emberg, Tom Mehaffie, III, Matt Lena, Lauren Zumbrun

Fort Hunter Park

Fort Hunter Park seamlessly blends new amenities with environmental protection and a celebration of the area’s history and wildlife. The enhanced park includes two new boat launches that provide access to Fishing Creek and the Susquehanna River, new pedestrian paths, new seating to enjoy the scenic views, and new outdoor gathering spaces to accommodate park festivals.  It also includes expanded parking to make it easier for locals to access and enjoy these new park features.

To protect the scenic and tranquil environmental setting, engineers used innovative techniques to collect and treat stormwater like porous pavement. They also replaced two paved median areas with soil, stone and native plantings to retain and filter stormwater runoff while enhancing the appearance of the roadway. A new basin for collecting stormwater is designed to blend with the adjoining woodland edge, and herbaceous plantings and indigenous trees help to improve a local habitat area.

Signage in the enhanced habitat area describes local wildlife for park users, while other signs in the park inform visitors of past river activities such as Native American gatherings, early transportation, and coal reclamation.

Fort Hunter Park wins Premier Project award

Chad Gladfelter, Carl Dickson, John Hershey, Matt Bonanno, Steve Deck

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.