Conceptual Design of a Pedestrian Bridge Crossing Princeton's Lake Carnegie

Abstract

Contingent upon the future expansion of the Princeton University campus, a pedestrian bridge crossing Princeton’s Lake Carnegie will enable increased north-south university traffic access to future developed areas across the lake in West Windsor Township. The proposed footbridge will also enhance the community by providing a safe access to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park pathway (colloquially named the “towpath”). With a focus on minimizing the University’s carbon footprint, the bridge’s capacity to accommodate pedestrian, cyclist, and golf cart traffic would reduce the need for investment in an expanded campus fleet. A new pedestrian bridge is vital to the expansion of Princeton University’s campus. Meetings with relevant university offices have determined the necessary criteria for the bridge, including location and appearance. An accessible pedestrian bridge was engineered to meet the requirements of the site and the bridge’s loading conditions. A brief look into the environmental effects on the surrounding protected Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park was considered, as well as the affects of the bridge on, not only the campus, but also the surrounding Princeton community. Finally, a model of the proposed pedestrian bridge was completed for use as presentation material for evaluation meetings with the University. An analysis of the design considerations was completed upon receiving feedback from the University.