ROUTE 926 BRIDGE TO BE CLOSED

Replacement project to run from Feb. 13 through Sept. 1

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that construction is scheduled to begin on Monday, Feb. 13, to replace the structurally-deficient Route 926 (Street Road) bridge over the Brandywine Creek in Birmingham and Pocopson townships, Chester County. More than 13,000 vehicles pass over the bridge every day.

The construction schedule on this $8.6 million project has been accelerated so the new bridge can open by Friday, Sept. 1.

Beginning, Monday, Feb. 13, Route 926 (Street Road) will be closed and detoured for the duration of construction between Pocopson Road and Creek Road. Motorists using Route 926 (Street Road) will be detoured over U.S. 202, U.S. 1, and Route 52 (Lenape Road).

Additionally, Creek Road will close in June 2017 for construction on the bridge approaches. Creek Road motorists will be detoured over U.S. 1 and Route 52 (Lenape Road).

Over the next seven months, PennDOT’s contractor will improve Route 926 (Street Road) by replacing the 79-year-old bridge with a new three-span structure built at a higher elevation; rebuilding and raising 1,700 feet of the roadway approaches to make them less prone to flooding; replacing the nearby culvert over Radley Run with an 84-foot twin arch concrete culvert; and realigning 800 feet of Creek Road at its northern intersection with Route 926 (Street Road).

The new bridge will be built to resemble the current structure and have stone form liners covering the piers so they resemble the existing piers. The new structure also will include an open, higher railing.

Following the reopening of Route 926 (Street Road), there will be one weekend in spring 2018 when Route 926 (Street Road) will close for final resurfacing of the new bridge and culvert.

The existing four-span bridge was built in 1937 and rehabilitated in 1974. The steel I-

Additionally, Creek Road will close in June for construction on the bridge approaches.

beam structure is 190 feet long and 26 feet wide. The bridge, which is posted with a weight restriction of 26 tons and 33 tons for combination loads, carries approximately 13,200 vehicles a day.

To improve travel through the intersection of Route 52 (Lenape Road) and Pocopson Road/West Creek Road, the contractor worked this month to install a permanent traffic signal. The new signal will include a flashing yellow arrow signal for left turns from Route 52 (Lenape Road) to Pocopson Road/West Creek Road, in addition to the standard red, yellow and green lights. This flashing yellow arrow signal will be the first to operate in the Philadelphia region.

The flashing yellow arrow signal is new to Pennsylvania, but it has become commonplace in many states across the country over the last 10 years. Based on studies and transportation agency testimonials, flashing yellow arrow signals improve left-turning safety by helping motorists recognize that they should yield while making left turns when there is oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Clearwater Construction, Inc., of Mercer County, is the general contractor on the $8,614,000 transportation improvement project is financed with 100 percent state funds.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles 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 770 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-11, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www. penndot.gov. Follow Local PennDOT Information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

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FRAN MAYE – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA The Route 926 bridge over Brandywine Creek, used by more than 13,000 vehicles every day, will close on Feb. 13, and stay closed for most of the year as PennDOT replaces it.