On October 22, 2020, Hawbaker was awarded a $2.9 million contract to turn an existing railroad bridge over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River into a pedestrian walking trail.

The trail will begin behind the Wayne Township landfill and rise in elevation to nearly 35’ high requiring a new smaller structure and an MSE wall to be built in order to meet the existing plane of the railway. In the process of building the substructure, GOH teamed up with Wagman to drill over 97 micropiles – each one 9 5/8” in diameter and filled with #18 rebar and grout – totaling over 5099 linear feet.

Once the retaining wall and smaller bridge are complete, the existing railway will then be demolished and installation of a timber deck and railing system will begin. The timber deck alone from abutment to abutment will require approximately (7,000) 2 X 6 X 12’s to be nailed together in a lamination-type style and utilize approximately 30,000 timber stick nails in the process.

Project Supers Mark Weaver and Rob Hoyt and crews continue to diligently work on this unique project that is currently slated to be completed by mid-November. When complete the new trail will offer amazing views to the general public while recycling what once was an obsolete railway into a useable resource to bring families together for walking or biking.