Pedestrian bridge owners and state-level Department of Transportation agencies continue to choose Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) decking for its trifecta of benefits: light weight, design features and complex shapes. These walkways connect buildings, people and communities. More to the point, they help people walk over obstacles. According to Research and Markets the U.S. pedestrian bridge market reached $94.86 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to 100.39 billion in 2025. Popularity is being driven by factors like infrastructure investment, urbanization, tourism and community identity. Activity in this space has also ramped up for Creative Composites Group (CCG). A look at four FRP pedestrian bridge decks that CCG installed in 2024 demonstrates how the performance features customers find so attractive are helping them solve problems from the design phase to erection.
MOLDED DECKING
The bridge industry is actively looking for advanced technologies that include material, construction methods and digital tools. For pedestrian bridge decks, FRP checks a number of boxes. The corrosion-resistant material is light weight with a high strength-to-weight ratio. For example, composite pedestrian decks can support a 10,000 lb. truck [a 20,000 lb. truck for decks wider than 10 ft.], yet are 80 percent lighter than reinforced concrete. Structural characteristics like stiffness and deflection can be tailored to customer specifications. Properties can also be modified for strength, stiffness, size, thickness and complex shapes. CCG is the only composite manufacturer in the industry able to mold panels for pedestrian bridge decks using vacuum infusion. FiberSpan prefabricated panels eliminate the need for labor-intensive construction processes and speed up installation. Because panels are pre-made, engineers can easily add features like embedded attachment points for railings, benches, signs and shelters; crown and cross slope; curbs, drainage scuppers and expansion joints. The first two projects—Lane Place Pedestrian Bridge and Parkside Pedestrian Bridge—show us how creative solutions are being applied in the field. In both bridges, decking was installed on steel trusses prior to erection.
LANE PLACE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, WASHINGTON DC
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) signed off on a project to replace a pedestrian walkway structure that collapsed in 2021 when it was hit by a truck. The new Lane Place Pedestrian Bridge was upgraded to a minimum vertical clearance of 17 ft., 6 in. to safely span the Anacostia Freeway. The design eliminates the need for a crosswalk at the same level [grade] as the roadway. The DDOT chose CCG’s FiberSpan prefabricated molded panels to accelerate construction and limit traffic disruptions for commuters. The flexible technology also allowed the DDOT to overcome several design and construction challenges. FRP panels had to be installed inside a steel truss with a significant camber [curvature]. In addition, specifications called for deck panels to be cross-sloped with curbs and drain scuppers to prevent water runoff on the highway. The abutments required an expansion joint system with plates and cutouts around steel members at the ends. Special shims were used to support the load over the center gap where truss beams were spliced together. The large molded panels also reduced the number of panel-to-panel joints. FRP’s lightweight allowed the contractor to install the deck prior to erection of the truss, eliminating all concreting operations over a busy freeway. The new bridge will improve access to mass transit and other neighborhoods for residents in Mayfair, Parkside, Eastland Gardens, and the surrounding communities of Ward 7.
PARKSIDE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, WASHINGTON DC
Bridge geometry was one of the problems the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) faced when it launched a new bridge project. The Parkside Pedestrian Bridge was designed to provide safe, well-lit, ADA accessible travel between neighborhoods and a local Metrorail station separated by the Anacostia Freeway and two sets of railroad tracks north of the Benning Road interchange. The 400-ft.-long bridge specified three spans and arches at each end. Other features included a weathering steel truss with a natural brown patina, a metal roof and mesh screen enclosure. The DDOT selected CCG’s FiberSpan molded, prefabricated deck for quick installation and minimal traffic disruptions. FRP’s design versatility allowed CCG to mold panels with changing elevations, slopes and landings as well as different widths across eight truss spans. CCG engineered an expansion plate that could accommodate the movement produced by spans intersecting at different slopes. After deck installation on the trusses in the laydown area, the full trusses were lifted into place with minimal traffic disruption.
Custom shapes, a wide range of available design features and the panels’ light weight provide just the right combination needed to help customers solve today’s construction challenges. If you are looking to replace a bridge structure or need to renovate an existing span, we’d love to talk with you about how we can contribute to your project. Don’t miss Part 2 of this blog where we feature two more pedestrian bridge projects with some unique specifications.
