Locatedsouth of Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia, Pa., the Schuylkill Riverwaterfront was once a booming industrial hub, but by the middle of the 20thcentury, the area had fallen into neglect. To help the area regain its formerluster, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) raised funds overthe course of several decades, ultimately seeking to significantly enhance thebuilt environment and a thriving off-road pedestrian and cycling route for thelocal community. Along with the City of Philadelphia and federal, state, andprivate partners, SRDC invested more than $110 million in the effort, leadingto significant improvements. Completed in May 2025, the Christian to CrescentCable-Stayed Bridge builds on the success of previous work, finishing the trailon the east side of Schuylkill. The Fort Miller Co. Inc., in partnership withAECOM and the City of Philadelphia, used precast concrete products in theconstruction of the project’s stunning 650-ft-long bridge.

A Landmark That’s Here to Cable-Stay

According to Trevor Kirkpatrick, senior bridgeengineer for AECOM, alternative materials were considered for the work, butnone could match up with the benefits offered by precast concrete.

“A major project goal was to provide amaintenance-free structure for the city,” he says. “Precast concrete hadsignificant benefits over a similar steel structure from a maintenance andpainting perspective. Using precast elements rather than cast-in-placesimplified the overall bridge geometry control and placed beam fabrication on aparallel construction timeline, allowing for concurrent constructionactivities.”

Eight curved precast concrete tub girders,ranging in length from 73 to 80 ft and in weight from 116 to 148 tons, weremanufactured for the project. The bridge’s twin towers, which rise 139 ft abovethe deck, each anchor 28 wire-rope cables that support the curved, spliced,precast concrete post-tensioned U beams and a 25-ft-wide bridge deck. Circularoverlooks at each tower offer sweeping views of the river and Philadelphiaskyline. The cables are arranged in a unique basketweave pattern and useelegant pin-and-clevis anchors for a streamlined appearance. The precast concreteU beams chosen for the work also provide the torsional rigidity required toaccommodate the bridge’s centerline cable arrangement. According to the projectteam, the Christian to Crescent Cable-StayedBridge features the only curved, spliced precast concrete post-tensioned U beamsin a single-box configuration with cable-stayed support.

Thisunique structural system accomplishes the community’s goal of spanning historicindustrial landmarks while completing a long-awaited connection to adjacenttrails. Previous sections of the trail are well-loved and much used by area residents,with more than 33,000 trips logged per week. The bridge’s aestheticallypleasing design—combined with the low maintenance requirements and extendedservice life of precast concrete—ensures that residents will be able to enjoythis critical link for decades to come.

“TheChristian to Crescent Cable-Stayed Bridge creates a vital new connection forcyclists and pedestrians, reshaping how people move through Philadelphia,” saysJoel Cummings, associate vice president and project manager for AECOM. “Itprovides an entirely off-road route for pedestrians and cyclists between CenterCity Philadelphia and the Grays Ferry neighborhood, which was historically cutoff from waterfront and trail access. The project provides a missing linkacross neighborhoods, eliminating what had been an almost 15-year-old gap inthe trail.”

Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013.

Key Project Attributes

• Precast deck panels and approach girders allowed for rapid installation, minimizing time over the river and active rail lines.
• Prefabricated elements simplified logistics and minimized disruption in a congested metropolitan work zone.
• Closes a major gap in Philadelphia’s multi-use trail network, linking Christian Street to Greys Ferry Crescent.
• Construction over the Schuylkill River and active rail lines required precise engineering and accelerated installation.

• 650-ft-long cable-stayed bridge serves as a missing link across neighborhoods, helping to revitalize a former industrial hub.
• The bridge spans historic landmarks in the area and provides key connections to adjacent trails in the vicinity.
• Circular overlooks located at the bridge’s twin towers offer sweeping views of the Schuylkill River and Philadelphia skyline.

Project/Precast Scope

• Cable-stayed main span, directly integrated with precast concrete approaches which utilize custom curved U girders, bulb tees, and precast deck slabs.

• Precast approach components enabled rapid installation in constrained urban conditions while reducing community and environmental impacts.
• Curved U girders provided structural efficiency within context of the extension along the water,
• Bulb tees and deck slabs contributed to a durable, high-performance bridge deck system.

• Eight curved precast concrete tub girders, ranging in length from 73 to 80 ft and in weight from 116 to 148 tons, were manufactured for the project.
• The bridge features the only curved, spliced precast concrete post-tensioned U beams in a single-box configuration with a cable-stayed support.
• While the overall project spanned four years, precast concrete erection took just two weeks to complete.