Lane Restrictions Scheduled to Begin Monday

by Jonathan Weaver

Armstrong County drivers should prepare for daytime late restrictions if traveling along two state highways next week.

Travel along State Route 3017 (Old State Highway 28) and State Route 3013 (Nicola) Road will both be reduced to one lane for the week – through Friday, March 20 – due to tree removal. Flaggers will direct traffic appropriately.

The two bridges along those routes – at Glade Run and Buffalo Creek – are to be replaced later this year by crews from Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners as well.

Tree trimming has also progressed along River Road from Kiskiminetas Township to Apollo Borough this week resulting in traffic delays.

Motorists are advised to be alert for slow moving traffic approaching the work zones.

In April, Project Manager Dave Layman said Center Hill Bridge #6 in North Buffalo Township is due to be replaced this summer under the Rapid Bridge Replacement Program. Crews will undergo an accelerated bridge construction, or the state’s P3 (Public Private Partnership) program.

“This project consists of a full bridge replacement. There is going to be a detour,” Layman said. “We anticipate construction from the middle of June 2015 until the middle of August 2015.”\

During the eight-to-10 week, $1.2 million project, crews will necessitate a seven-mile detour to motorists – which posted would ask them to utilize State Route 3007 along Route 422 and Freeport Road (Old State Route 28). Layman predicted it would be about a 10-15 minute reroute.

The 94-foot bridge is planned to be widened about two feet during the project and will replace an existing concrete arch determined to be structurally deficient.

“It’s not in real-good condition, so it does require a full replacement. There’s no displacement from the job – just basically what we need to maintain our bridge, our approach way, our drainage,” Layman said. “It’ll be four beams that span Glade Run. It’s a trout-stock stream, so we can not be in the stream during fishing season.”

Further west, the State Route 3013 Nicola Bridge in West Franklin Township will also be fully replaced starting in April.

“This project will not be detoured – we’ll have temporary signals set up on both sides of the bridge alternating one lane of traffic throughout the work zone,” Layman said.

The 98-foot-long Nicola Bridge will also receive minor widening to maintain traffic, but will not require any residential or business displacements.

“You’re almost building two bridges when you’re doing half-width construction, so it is a longer project,” Layman said.

The construction timetable for that $1.5 million bridge project was also impacted by fishing in Buffalo Creek – lasting until September.

Some work may be able to be done as long as it doesn’t impact the Fish and Boat Commission stocking.

Fishing season runs from March 1 through June 15.

Layman hopes for the reconstructed bridges to each last a century – given perfect conditions, although salt, debris and flooding do speed up deterioration.

More than 500 bridges statewide will be replaced during the next four years under the current program.

The work is part of the $899 million Rapid Bridge Replacement Project to rebuild 558 structurally-deficient bridges across the state of Pennsylvania.