Today, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), along with local officials and industry partners marked the completion of the emergency project to replace the bridge that carries Route 318 over Interstate 376 in Shenango Township, Mercer County.
“Roads like Route 318 to the vital economic stability and quality of life of the communities they serve, such as West Middlesex," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “When an emergency forces the closure of a bridge on these community lifelines, it is a priority for PennDOT and Governor Shapiro to get them replaced, repaired, and reopened as quickly as possible. Here in Mercer County, our team was able to accomplish that in less than a year."
The Route 318 bridge was struck by the boom of a truck traveling eastbound on I-376 the morning of December 7, 2023. It sustained substantial damage to three beams and had a hole in the deck.
For the safety of traffic traveling under the bridge, it was determined the damaged portion of the bridge should be removed as soon as possible, which was completed within 33 hours after the crash. The emergency removal was handled by Mekis Construction of Fenelton, PA.
PennDOT hired Michael Baker International of Pittsburgh to assist with the accelerated design process. The formal public involvement period was held in late January. By March, PennDOT was accepting bids to build the new bridge. In April, the contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Mekis Construction, and work at the site started.
“It took an immense amount of collaboration from our PennDOT staff and our consultant team to deliver the design in less than three months," said District 1 Executive Brian McNulty. “That partnership approach continued into the construction phase, allowing us to open the bridge a month earlier than expected, just over nine months after the crash."
The new bridge, which has a similar alignment to the old structure, has a higher vertical clearance, 16 feet, 6 inches, than the former structure, which was 14 feet, 2 inches. The project also included improvements of the ramps of each side of the bridge.
The total cost of the project was about $6.5 million, which includes $143,711 for the emergency demolition, $672,914 for design and $6,332,489 for construction. Most of those costs will be covered by Federal Emergency Relief funds.
Additional information on the Route 318 Bridge Replacement Project is available online at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1 under the Design and Construction Projects link.
This year PennDOT's Northwest Region expects to do work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2024 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.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, jharry@pa.gov or 814-678-5035
