Bridge replacement begins in Monongahela Twp.
Crews began work Monday on replacing a 95-year-old bridge over Whiteley Creek on Route 88 in Greene County.
Daily short-term single-lane restrictions are in place on either side of the bridge in Monongahela Township, between Sigsbee Road and Fifth Street. Precautions will include flagging, width restrictions and lane shifts.
Construction is expected to continue through November on the first phase of the $5.5 million project to demolish the bridge over Whiteley Creek and build a replacement.
The 122-foot bridge consists of two sections — the original closed deck arch built in 1930, and a 1966 addition of three steel plate girders that widened the bridge from 27 feet to 45 feet, 6 inches.
Overall, the bridge is in “poor condition,” PennDOT Assistant District Executive for Design Jeremy Hughes and Project Manager Gary Ferrari said in a written statement.
“While every component is showing its age, the concrete arch section in particular is very difficult to maintain,” they said. “This led to the economic decision to replace the bridge rather than attempt preservation or rehabilitation.”
Half of the bridge demolition and construction of the new bridge will happen this year. For the first phase, crews will complete the north side of the structure while maintaining two lanes of traffic on the southbound side.
The new bridge will be shifted about 18 feet to the north, allowing crews to alter the curve on which the existing bridge is built. By doing so, Hughes and Ferrari wrote, they can improve roadway geometry and make the road safer.
A waterline relocation is scheduled for April. The waterline relocation will happen before construction begins, maintaining services, Hughes and Ferrari said. Once the line is moved, minor service disruption may occur as they complete the tie-in to the new system.
Design portions of the work were fully state-funded, while construction is being done entirely through federal funding, Hughes and Ferrari said.
PennDOT asks motorists to budget for extra travel time and drive cautiously through the work zone, obeying posted signs and speed limits.