Cold Weather Holding Up Bridge Repairs

Repairs scheduled for the Washington Avenue bridge have been inconsistent due to weather, a PennDOT spokesman said Monday.

According to PennDOT spokesman Charles Metzger, the contractor, James J. Anderson Construction Company Inc., cannot pour concrete due to the low temperatures.

PennDOT announced last week that work on the Washington Avenue bridge would resume weekdays this month, closing the roadway from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. until March 9. 

But due to the temperatures, Metzger said the contractor has been painting under the bridge, which doesn’t require the road to be closed. When the temperatures rises, concrete will be poured, he said

“They anticipate a closure Wednesday for a couple of days,” he said, adding the forecast indicates the temperatures will rise midweek. 

The contractor will need four or five closures for a few days each, he said.

During these closures, drivers can expect the bridge will be closed Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The entire project should be completed by June, according to PennDOT.

During construction, Washington Avenue through traffic will be detoured over State Street, Route 332/413 (Newtown Bypass) and Sycamore Street. Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area.

The bridge is 79 years old, 55 feet long and 28 feet wide. It carries 7,342 vehicles a day, according to PennDOT.

The bridge improvement project is part of PennDOT’s $2.5 million project to improve nine structurally deficient bridges in the Philadelphia region.