Jul 21, 2010 By Patty Yauger 3 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – A bridge that connects the city with neighboring South Connellsville Borough will be replaced next spring. City council, emergency personnel and residents learned about the $2-million project Tuesday during a public hearing conducted by the state Department of Transportation.

The bridge, which is located on South Pittsburgh Street, near the Austin Avenue playground, crosses Trump Run.

According to PennDOT project engineer Donald R. Davanzo, the current structure – an 80-foot, single-span, steel-through girder bridge – was built in 1930 and rehabilitated in 1960.

“The efficiency rating is not very good and it is time to replace it,” he said, adding on an efficiency scale of 0 to 100, with 100 considered a new bridge, the South Pittsburgh Street bridge is rated a 10.

The antiquated bridge will be demolished and replaced with a single-span composite, pre-stressed concrete, spread box-beam bridge.

The Pittsburgh firm of Whitman, Requardt and Associates has designed the project.

Bids for the construction will be sought in September and a contract issued after the cost proposals have been reviewed and approved.

Davanzo said the nearly 5,600 vehicles that cross the bridge on a daily basis will be rerouted to Arch Street.

“There are several routes to use, but Arch Street will be the official detour route,” he said.

Davanzo estimated the project to be completed prior to the end of 2011.

“Because there will be no need to deal with traffic, it will be done in one construction season,” he said.

Connellsville Mayor Charles Matthews said that the project will have a greater impact on South Connellsville residents, but speculated drivers will find ways to reach their destination.

“There are a lot of cross streets in South Connellsville,” he said.

Matthews said he did promote the job start as early as possible so that the 2011 Connellsville Area High School football games are not impacted by the project.

Falcon Stadium is located along Arch Street. However, attendees park along South Pittsburgh Street and walk the one block to the stadium.

The city, too, said Matthews will need to reach an agreement with the state concerning an adjoining piece of property to the bridge that the transportation department needs to acquire for right-of-way purposes.

Matthews said that the matter will have to be discussed by council to determine a course of action.

A second bridge replacement project being undertaken by PennDOT is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

The Route 119, Memorial Bridge project began in June 2009.

Last month, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc. of Washington, completed work on the northbound lanes of the highway and moved traffic over to make repairs to the southbound travel lanes.

The $14.1 million project includes the complete replacement of the nearby Sixth Street bridge, the removal and replacement of the Memorial Bridge deck, repair of lights and addition of a 6-foot pedestrian/bicyclist lane.