Construction on span to replace Layton Bridge expected to begin next year
Construction on the span to replace the historic Layton Bridge over the Youghiogheny River near Perryopolis is expected to begin late next year.
The state Department of Transportation updated its website this week detailing the progress being made to repair the 132-year-old span in Perry Township and eventually build its replacement that will run nearly parallel just a couple hundred feet to the southeast.
Work to build the new two-lane bridge is expected to begin in the fall of 2025 and would take three years to construct. The project would relocate Route 4038 to the new span and reroute the entry away from the Layton Tunnel. The plans were originally released last April during a public meeting in Perryopolis, and are also included in the overall plans updated this week on PennDOT’s website explaining the overall project.
Severe deterioration and corrosion of the structure forced the temporary repairs and construction of the new bridge.
The updated website explaining the Layton Bridge rehabilitation and new construction offered three prongs in the overall process. The preservation of Layton Bridge began in 2022 that included various ways to extend the lifespan while a new bridge could be constructed.
Initial steps were taken over the past two years to ensure the structural safety of the bridge and the Layton Tunnel that leads directly to it. More repairs are planned this year, including concrete and structural steel upgrades to the superstructure, substructure, curb and barriers, according to PennDOT. Additional “as needed” repairs will be made through 2027 upon inspections to maintain traffic on the bridge, which could also eventually include traffic signals entering the tunnel and on the far side of the bridge.
All of that is intended to preserve the Layton Bridge long enough so its replacement can be built and opened to traffic. The various preservation projects are expected to cost a combined $5.5 million, although the price of the new bridge is not immediately known since it will not be put out for bid until next summer. A new, smaller bridge will also be built on Layton Road over nearby Washington Run.
The preliminary engineering work is ongoing and the right-of-way acquisition is expected to begin soon.
The process to build a new span has been a little more cumbersome due to the historic nature of the Layton Bridge, which is a single lane and originally served as a railroad bridge. PennDOT expects to take the existing bridge and tunnel “out of service” after the new span is completed.
To view updates on the bridge project, go to PennDOT District 12’s web page at www.penndot.pa.gov/District12, then click on the “Design and Construction Projects” link under the “District Links” heading, select the “Fayette County” tile, and then click on “Layton Bridge Project.”