Work will begin soon to replace an 86-year-old bridge that carries Route 98 over Van Horne Run in Vernon Township, Crawford County.
Work on the bridge, which is located between Harmonsburg Road (Route 3016) and Van Horne Road is expected to start Thursday, May 4, 2023, weather permitting.
The project will include removing the existing 24-foot single span concrete tee beam bridge and installing a reinforced concrete box culvert. Additional work will include paving and improvements to the roadway approaches, drainage, guiderail, delineators, and pavement markings.
The project will require a 13.5-mile detour, which will be posted using Route 102 (Cussewago Road) and Route 6/19. It is expected to be in place for two consecutive weeks during construction.
This portion of Route 98 is part of the Pennsylvania Bicycle Route A. Bicyclists will use the same detour as vehicles.
The new bridge is expected to be opened in early June 2023.
The existing bridge was built in 1937 and is classified as poor condition. Approximately 4,700 vehicles a day use the bridge, on average.
The contractor is Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc., of State College, PA. The contract cost is $680,998, which is to be paid entirely with federal funds.
In 2023 alone, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is bringing approximately $23.7 million in additional funding to the northwest region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners. In the northwest region, the planning partners are the Erie Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Shenango Valley MPO, and the Northwest Rural Planning Organization (RPO), for projects in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.
This year PennDOT's Northwest Region excepts to do work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2023 Construction Book located under the Resources tab online at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Follow local PennDOT news on Twitter and like the department on Facebook.
Contact: Saxon Daugherty, 814-678-7095 or sadaughert@pa.gov
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