Mead & Hunt’s Historic Glendale Iron Pedestrian Bridge project was honored with a 2018 Pinnacle Award by the Carolinas Associated General Contractors. The Glendale Bridge project was recognized as the Best Highway Project under $5 Million, one of five categories honoring construction projects which enhance their communities and advance the construction industry.
The Historic Glendale Iron Pedestrian Bridge is a cherished landmark in Spartanburg County. Constructed in 1928, the bridge connected the Glendale Cotton Mill and nearby workers’ homes to the community park across the creek. Age-related deterioration led to unsafe conditions, and the bridge was subsequently taken out of vehicular and pedestrian use in the late 1970s. Forty years later, Mead & Hunt was tasked to rehabilitate this bridge through a grant-funded enhancement contract.
The project evolved from a simple rehabilitation to include a historic rehabilitation focus with environmentally-conscious design features and construction methods. When the initial grant and Spartanburg County funds would not cover the cost of the rehabilitation project, the County and local community rallied together to raise the necessary funds to complete the project to high historical and environmental standards.
Due to the bridge’s advanced age, the project team took great care to restore the structure without harming the environment and historical features. To restore the bridge, the team replaced 5,200 rivets with high-strength bolts, switched all lower chords with higher-grade steel, and repaired the bearings and corroded steel. The project also required the team to remove the existing lead-based paint without contaminating Lawson’s Fork Creek below. The bridge’s restorative design included new lighting and hand rails, improving public access. Between Mead & Hunt’s thoughtful design and Carolina Bridge Company’s construction methods, our project team successfully maintained structural integrity while improving the Glendale structure to modern, safe standards.
According to CT York, Assistant Program Manager for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the project team “understood not only the Department’s needs, but County and community needs as well. They truly went above and beyond, exceeding our expectations to revive a landmark that will define the Glendale area. [Their work] will carry the historic bridge’s legacy into the future.”