Dayton, OH.

2021

Partnering with Stantec to design this gateway bridge leading from the west side of the city into downtown Dayton, Weitzman and his design team offered structural/architectural design suggestions to affect the pier, parapet, and overlooks of the bridge, as well as provide aesthetic enhancements for the abutment walls, switchback ramp and stairs, and bridge deck.

The aesthetics are a symbol for peace and reconciliation to help heal the racial divide in the city that is geographically represented by the Great Miami River the bridge straddles. The aesthetic design enhancements pay homage to Wilbur and Orville Wright and the African-American poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar – both of which are neighborhood namesakes whose friendship in the early 1900’s celebrates the inclusiveness and reconciliation in the early days of Dayton’s history. Aesthetics on both the bridge pier walls and abutment overlooks include bas-reliefs and quotes from Paul Lawrence Dunbar and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., whose Selma March the Dayton community re-enacts annually by marching across the Peace Bridge and into downtown Dayton.

On the deck, informational signage includes historic details about the City of Dayton, the Civil Rights Movement in Dayton, the women who shaped Dayton’s history, the Tuskegee Airmen, Paul Laurence Dunbar, the Wright Brothers, Dayton’s MLK Day celebrations, and the history of funk music in Dayton. QR codes are placed next to each entablature which can be scanned using a smartphone for those curious to learn more about any of these subjects.

Stockton, CA.

2014

Weitzman and his design team were selected by the City of Stockton’s City Council to design and fabricate aesthetic enhancements for this I-5 and French Camp Road Interchange twin bridge, a part of Caltrans $52 million interchange reconstruction project. For this gateway bridge that is an entryway to Stockton Metropolitan Airport, Weitzman found inspiration in the surrounding Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Delta, one of California’s most important resources, sustains approximately 500 plant and animal species, including Pacific salmon and heron, and is the source for drinking water in the region.

Using the Delta as source material for the designs for their custom form liner patterns, Weitzman chose to combine representational imagery of flora and fauna on the bridge’s wing walls, heron gracefully flying and standing in a field of marsh grass, and monumentally-scaled swimming salmon, with elegant textured abstract patterns created from looking at the Delta’s topography for the bridge beam and slope walls.

Dayton, OH.

2002

In commemoration of Dayton’s 100th anniversary of the production of the Wright Brother’s Wright “B” Flyer for World War I, Weitzman and his design team designed the Wright B. Flyer Retaining Wall project, which was completed as part of Phase I of the I-70/I-75 Interchange. This monumental project featuring bas-reliefs of the Wright B. Flyer was one of the first context sensitive driven project incorporated done by Ohio DOT. Constructed using custom form liners and normal construction methods, the Wright B. Flyers appear as if they are taking off and landing as commuters drive alongside the planes. The immense wingspans of the planes extend 40 feet and repeat every 120 feet, creating a monumental, rhythmic mural along the I-70 Corridor.

Howard County, MD.

2004

The aesthetic treatments for these precast sound barriers arose out of a desire to reintroduce the natural environment that was being obscured by this three-mile sound abatement wall installation. These panels feature iconographic images of Maryland’s indigenous flora and fauna, including trees, birds, and landscapes. The panels in this design are modular and can be reconfigured into an infinite number of unique combinations to create miles of designs.

Wichita, KS.

2004

Forty-eight modular form liners were used to create four miles of unique retaining wall designs, one of the largest, non-repetitive bas-reliefs in the country. Cast-in-place, these walls utilize shadows cast by the sun to emphasize the crisp and dynamic textures that emulate the landscape of Kansas as one might see flying over these fertile fields.

Wichita, KS.

2002

“Time Passages” was selected as the aesthetic theme for the Kellogg/Oliver Interchange in Wichita, Kansas. The design incorporates text and imagery into 36 cast stone modular bas-relief panels that are placed in various combinations to span 16,000 square feet of retaining walls and a vehicular bridge. The designs include quotations regarding the passage of time, monumental Roman clocks, a 25′ vertical working sundial, and enormous leaves that appear to be scattered by the wind and passing vehicles. The quotation cast into the parapet fascia of the bridge serves as a pleasant reminder to the commuters driving under the bridge that “The Journey is the Reward.”

Tucson, AZ.

2014

The La Cholla signature bridge project has garnered numerous industry awards, five within he first six months after completion, many having to do with the successful collaboration of all team members involved. Weitzman’s goal in designing the aesthetic enhancements for this 600’ long bridge, nestled in the rustic Canyon del Oro Wash, was to make the bridge emerge as an integral part of the environment and not merely as a structure forced upon it. The parapet, railing, and sidewalk designs reflect the colors, textures, and atmosphere of the natural environment, without being too literal. The handsome custom railing implies the seasonal moving water of the wash below and the chollas (cactus) form liner patterns are dramatically presented on the inside of the parapet for pedestrians and commuters to enjoy. This exploration of motion and the incorporation of curves into the design act as a way to transition from the built environment to the natural one under the bridge.

Project Awards:

• 2015 Timothy M. Ahrens Partnering Award
• 2015 John L. Martin Partnered Project of the Year Ruby Award
• 2014 Public Works Project of the Year Award
• 2014 Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Award
• 2014 Build Arizona Award

Norman, OK.

2009

The 431’ long expanse of the Rock Creek Road Bridge provided Weitzman with a unique opportunity to affect the most visible elements of the bridge: the parapets, pier sets, and large embankments. Aesthetics representing the City of Norman’s activeWeitzman industries in both breeding quarter horses and crafting saddles fill the expansive concrete space provided by the scale of this bridge. The deep relief of stampeding horses casts strong, pronounced shadows.

Large weaved patterns fill the vertical pier faces and wingwalls, which originate from hand-tooled patterns common to cowboy saddles. These areas are stained to imitate the handcrafted leather of the saddlery industry. Adorning the bullnose of the central pier bent and the termini of the parapet are large, conchos. Used to ornament the bands, straps, and cinches of horse saddles, conchos denote cowboy culture and iconography.

Passing under the bridge, commuters see a pattern of squares made from cross-hatched textures, alternating orientation, stamped onto the slope wall to form a diamond American Indian rug design. Bookended by two half-diamonds, this central diamond spans the height and width of the slope wall. Representing a woven quilt or blanket that is needed to pad saddles, these stamped diamonds accentuate the simple weave appearing on the piers and wing walls to further connote the theme of saddlery and equine craftsmanship.

Clearwater, FL.

2014

The US 19 & SR 60 Intersection in the City of Clearwater is a 2.8 mile section of the Florida Department of Transportation’s US 19 Reconstruction Project, which includes a bridge, abutment walls, and MSE walls. Influenced by the context of the natural environment, designs celebrate the rolling waves and seashells found in this beautiful coastal community. CDR created ten unique modular form liner patterns of seashells and a stylized wave design to enhance the MSE and abutment walls. The seashell patterns range from a dense assortment of shells to a muted sand texture; the variety of shell panels implying the constant interaction between the land and sea. The undulating wave pattern gives the appearance of motion and rhythmically breaks up the more static shell patterns creating a dynamic and engaging design. These modular patterns were reconfigured to create a unique, overall composition for each of the six walls of this intersection.