R.J. Watson Bearings Power Philadelphia’s Landmark Pedestrian Bridge
Buffalo, NY – R.J. Watson is proud to announce its role in the completion of the new 650-foot cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia—an iconic structure that opened to the public in May 2025. The bridge, a centerpiece of the Christian to Crescent Connector trail segment, represents a powerful convergence of engineering excellence, urban connectivity, and public vision.
As part of this $48 million initiative led by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC), R.J. Watson supplied 15 high-performance disc bearings, including four designed to resist uplift—an essential requirement for the bridge’s dynamic cable-stayed structure.
Each bearing was meticulously engineered to accommodate:
- Vertical loads ranging from 62 to 573 kips
- Horizontal forces between 3% and 11% of vertical load
- Service rotations from ±0.022 to ±0.045 radians
- Longitudinal displacement of 5.75” to 10.25”
- Transverse displacement of 0.125”
- Uplift resistance up to 59 kips (for four bearings)
This level of customization ensures the bridge performs under complex loading conditions—while maintaining safety and structural integrity in a high-traffic urban environment.
The project was designed by AECOM and constructed by PKF-Mark III under a Design-Bid-Build contract awarded by PennDOT. Urban Engineers provided construction management and inspection, navigating narrow riverbank constraints and active industrial surroundings to deliver the project on time and under budget.
From our facility in Buffalo to the heart of Philadelphia, R.J. Watson remains committed to delivering face-to-face engineering excellence that transforms complex challenges into long-term infrastructure success.
