PennDOT to replace Birmingham Road bridge

Construction is scheduled to begin the week of April 11 to replace the Birmingham Road bridge over Radley Run in Birmingham, Chester County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) said.

The Birmingham Road bridge has been closed to motorists since Sept. 22, 2015 due to severe structural damage. The bridge is located between the intersections of Lambourne Road and Stoney Run Drive.

During the bridge closure, Birmingham Road through traffic is detoured over Route 52 (Lenape Road), Creek Road and Route 926 (Street Road). Local access is maintained up to the construction zone. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area.

PennDOT will remove the old bridge and construct a new, cast-in-place concrete bridge. The new one-span structure will be 18 feet long and 24 feet wide. It will carry one travel lane in each direction.

The existing one-span, steel-beam bridge was built in 1938. It is 15 feet long and 26 feet wide. The structure was posted with a 18ton weight limit and carried an average of 3,553 vehicles a day when it closed.

Loftus Construction, Inc., of Cinnaminson, N.J., is the general contractor on the $500,000 project that is funded with 100 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 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

FRAN MAYE - DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA The Route 926bridge in Pocopson (just beyond the traffic light) near Pocopson Road will be replaced by PennDOT beginning early next year. The $9million project is scheduled to be completed by Labor Day 2017.