Projects

Tempe Town Lake Light Rail Bridge

Tempe Town Lake Light Rail Bridge

Tempe, Arizona
United States
tempe town lake bridge

TYLin was selected as the Prime Consultant to provide final design services for the Tempe Town Lake Light Rail Bridge in Tempe, Arizona.

The 1530-foot-long steel bridge spans Tempe Town Lake and provides users with expansive views of the lake and the nearby historic Southern Pacific and Mill Avenue bridges.

The bridge runs adjacent to an historic Union Pacific steel truss railroad bridge. TYLin worked closely with local historical preservationists, neighborhood groups, and the transportation commission to ensure that the final design complemented the historic railroad bridge.

The Tempe Town Lake Light Rail Bridge is an innovative continuous 11-span, triangular steel truss supporting each track with a 30-foot-wide concrete deck. The deck uses cast-in-place, 7-inch-thick, 5,000-psi (pound force per square inch) reinforced concrete.

Project Highlights: 

  • TYLin was selected as Prime Consultant after completing a comprehensive preliminary engineering study of structural alternatives.
  • TYLin’s simple and elegant design features a shallow superstructure to blend with the local historic bridges. 
  • Significant construction sequencing scenarios were provided. 
  • The V-shaped pier caps rise to meet the steel trusses, which feature diagonal pipe bracing connecting top and bottom pipe chords. 
  • Activated by moving trains, the modern LED lighting system can be programmed to create various lighting effects and complex shows. 
  • The project included the reconstruction of several local roadways, drainage modifications, park modifications, and aesthetic treatments on various project elements.

Image credit: Tom Paiva Photography

Services

Awards
Prize Bridge Award, Iconic or Signature Bridge, 2009
National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA)