Architectural Polymers

Hoboken, New Jersey’s 14th Street Viaduct stretches almost ¼ mile and carries over 20,000 vehicles per day. When declared structurally deficient, Hudson County went in search of a replacement for the 100-year-old viaduct.

J.H. Reid General Contractor was awarded the contract for construction of the revitalized viaduct. The brick design was preferred to maintain the historical aesthetics of the viaduct, but traditional brick was labor intensive and, therefore, cost prohibitive. Ultimately, thin brick was cast utilizing the Versa-Brix® Vertical form liner system by Architectural Polymers. The thin brick is not only a cost-effective solution; it is a green building product that is reusable up to 50 times. The patented gasketing feature of the form liner holds the thin brick in the vertical position throughout the concrete pour and form strip.

Considered an iconic landmark in the Hoboken skyline, the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office required that a replacement structure appropriately reflect Hoboken’s historic district. Hudson County selected Stantec along with consultants, Trans Systems and T.Y. Lin International/Medina to complete the replacement design.

A committee of stakeholders was formed to meet with Hudson County engineers and communicate the community’s input throughout the design process. In response to the community feedback, designers included space for events like flea markets, farmers markets and community movies as well as recreational space for basketball, roller and ice hockey, a playground and a dog park.