Construction will begin in mid-October on a two-month, $7.5 million project to improve two structurally deficient bridges on Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) in Atglen Borough, West Fallowfield Township and West Sadsbury Township, Chester County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced today. The project is scheduled to finish in December.
To expedite the replacement of the bridge over Valley Creek and rehabilitation of the nearby bridge over Officers Run, Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) will be closed and detoured to through traffic between Route 10 (Limestone Road/Church Street/Octorara Trail) and U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway) starting in mid-October.
“We are employing an aggressive plan to complete construction in a fraction of the time it would have taken if we had to widen Route 41, construct a temporary bridge, and build the project in phases,” said Acting PennDOT District Executive Christine Reilly, P.E. “This short-term road closure will allow us to finish construction quickly and at a lower cost because there is no widening, no temporary structures, and considerably less construction time.”
When Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) closes in mid-October, through travelers will be detoured over Route 10 (Limestone Road/Church Street/Octorara Trail) and U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway). Local access will be maintained up to the construction area.
PennDOT’s contractor will replace the existing pre-stressed concrete beam culvert carrying Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) over Valley Creek with a new 48-foot long, one-span precast concrete arch culvert. Once completed, the new bridge will have two 11-foot travel lanes and two eight-foot shoulders. The existing bridge, which is posted with a 28-ton weight restriction and a 40-ton restrictions for combination loads, was originally built in 1954. It is 29 feet long and 38 feet wide.
Crews will also rehabilitate the adjacent bridge carrying Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) over Officers Run by replacing the deteriorated concrete beams and deck on the 42-foot long, single-span structure. Following its rehabilitation, the bridge will have two 11-foot travel lanes and two eight-foot shoulders. The bridge, which is 42 feet wide, dates back to 1954.
The new Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) bridge to be built over Valley Creek will serve the motoring public for the next 100 years, while the rehabilitated span over Officers Run will provide at least 50 years of service.
The bridges, which are located just south of the Route 372 (Lower Valley Road) intersection and stand approximately 850 feet apart, will not be classified as structurally deficient following the completion of construction.
The Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) bridges carry an average of 13,412 vehicles per day, 27 percent of which are trucks.
Prior to the start of the bridge construction, the contractor will begin preliminary work in September to upgrade traffic signals and modify intersections along the detour route to better accommodate heavy truck and vehicular traffic. The intersections include:
• Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) and Route 10 (Limestone Road);
• Route 41 (Gap Newport Pike) and Highland Road;
• Route 10 (Limestone Road) and Highland Road;
• Route 10 (Limestone Road) and Route 372 (First Avenue); and
• Route 10 (Octorara Trail) and U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway).
J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Pa. is the general contractor on the $7,507,642 project, which is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.
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