Nov 17, 2009 By Amy Revak 3 min read

With the replacement of the Point Marion Bridge complete, plans are progressing to replace another bridge that connects Fayette and Greene counties. The Masontown Bridge, constructed in 1925, is slated for replacement by a four-lane bridge. Jerry Bendo, state Department of Transportation project manager, said Monday that the timetable for a new bridge includes a bid opening in January 2011 and construction commencing in March or April 2011.

Bendo said although the bridge replacement has been in the works for years, there have been changes to plans for the project in the last year. Those changes, along with plans, will be displayed during a public meeting slated for early spring 2010, or just a few months from now.

Affected property owners will likely be notified prior to the meeting, but the general public will be notified regarding when the meeting will occur.

The green, rusting bridge is narrow and in dire need of replacement.

The project, which is estimated to cost between $50 million and $55 million, has been shortened with the last review of plans, Bendo said.

Because of funding constraints and using what PennDOT refers to as “right sizing,” the road leading to the new bridge, which had been slated to be at a higher elevation than the current bridge, has dropped down in elevation, Bendo said.

The first phase of the construction, which will likely take the first year, will involve building two lanes of the new bridge on the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Plant side of the current bridge. Then the old bridge will be torn down and the other two lanes will be constructed, Bendo said.

In the end, after about two years, there will be a new four-lane bridge constructed slightly to the north.

The bridge will include eight-foot shoulders but no walkway. Bendo said most of the funding is coming from federal allocations.

On the Greene County side of the bridge, four lanes will go up the hill. The Fayette County side will taper from four lanes to the current lane configuration, which includes a turning lane up the hill.

Officials from both Greene and Fayette counties have spoken about the need for a new Masontown Bridge for years. The existing bridge has a number of structural deficiencies and is considered substandard in width, being 24-feet wide and lacking a shoulder.

Earlier this month, Fayette County Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites testified during a public hearing before the state Transportation Commission that improvements to Route 21, including a new Masontown Bridge, are top priority in the county for transportation funding.