Bridge project to begin in 2019
POTTSTOWN » PennDOT unveiled its $3.5 million plans to replace the 60-year-old King Street bridge during a public hearing July 10.
Construction work will not begin until after the July 4 holiday in 2019, said Brett Grove, a senior project manager at Traffic Planning and Design Inc., who made the bulk of the presentation.
Once construction begins, the project will take six to nine months to complete and a detour taking drivers on Route 100, Route 724 and South Hanover Street will be established, he said.
The bridge carries about 9,000 vehicles per day over the Manatawny Creek and has been declared structurally deficient, Grove said.
The change made recently, to reduce traffic on King Street to two travel lanes and a central turning lane will remain, although the new pavement laid on the bridge will obviously be lost.
The new bridge will also have bike lanes and eight-foot sidewalks instead of the current four-foot sidewalks.
In terms of public input, both members of council and the July
10 audience all expressed a desire for the design of the King Street bridge to mirror the attractive design of the new High Street bridge, which opened in May of 2012.
Resident Bill Krause called the idea of having the two bridges be similar “a no-brainer.”
That bridge features a faux stone exterior and two period street lights at the center.
Grove said the steel design envisions for the guardrails on the King Street bridge were considered a benefit to high water flow, that would allow water to wash through and over the bridge during a flood.
However, he said, changes could be considered.
“That bridge welcomes people to Pottstown, and a lot of people walk across it when there are events in the park, there should be attractive lighting on the bridge,” said Councilman Joe Kirkland.