PennDOT Spending Millions On Deficient BridgesStructural Problems Prompt Millions In Repair Work For Pa. BridgesPOSTED: 4:12 pm EDT October 30,
2008 MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to spend $175 million to rehabilitate 66 substandard bridges in the greater Pittsburgh area.PennDOT spokesman Dan Cessna said the agency spent nearly $92 million to replace five bridges, rehab six others and preserve 76 others in the same area this year.About one-third of some 1,800 state-owned bridges in the district are structurally deficient.This year the Birmingham Bridge was shut down for months while crews corrected a pier that caused the floor to drop a few inches.This year PennDOT did work on 87 bridges in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties, but the work isn't finished yetThe work continues on the Montour Run Bridge, where PennDot says the goal is to do work now to prevent having to do major repairs down the road.The road closed signs, flashing lights and blocked lanes are an inconvenience for drivers. The $96 million in work done this year by PennDot on area bridges is close to double of what's usually spent and even more work is planned for next year."About 66 to 70 bridges next year, for an investment of about $190 million. And you're going to see work all around the region again," said Cessna.Some of the work on the Noblestown Bridge some of the work included redoing the surface. The deck underneath the Greentree Bridge was also repaired and PennDOT plans to do similar work next year."Some of the bridges we are going to look at is preservation type work. To keep good bridges good. A big part of the program is taking care of the bridges you have and not deferring to maintenance so that you can avoid a costly repair," Cessna said.Major bridge work will be done on the bridge in McKees Rocks Bridge as well as the Westinghouse bridge. About 14 bridges from Churchhill to Monroeveille on the parkway east will be repaired. But despite the orange cones, there is some good news for drivers."We're actually going to utilize the available width of three lanes and shoulder to maintain two lanes of traffic, 24-7, for the entire summer," said CessnaWork on the Montour Run Bridge should wrap up by the beginning of December. Next year's bridge work will begin in the spring of 2009.2009 Bridge Projects Related Links:
Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | WTAE-TV Pittsburgh on Facebook
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