Meeting Scheduled on Centre Ave Bridge Project

The effort to preserve the historic Centre Avenue Bridge will continue later this month at a public meeting hosted by the Newtown Historic Association, First National Bank and the Newtown Creek Coalition.

The meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. on April 19 in the Operations Center of the First National Bank on Centre Ave, will offer an update on the status of the project and provide an opportunity for the community to organize in the effort to protect the bridge.

In February, , which crosses the Newtown Creek. The bridge is more than 200 years old and is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

PennDOT’s initial plan was to dismantle the bridge down to the arches and fill the interior with concrete. New concrete walls were to be veneered with sliced pieces of the existing stone.

That plan concerned some members of the community, including representatives from The Newtown Historic Association,  and the Newtown Creek Coalition.

The groups united and hired an independent preservation specialist to assist in encouraging PennDOT to ensure the repairs are done in a way that’s sensitive to the bridge’s historical significance. 

Representatives from the coalition approached both the Newtown Borough Council and the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors seeking support for their cause.

In late March, .  According to PennDOT spokesman Eugene Blaum, the bridge is still slated for rehabilitation but there is currently no project timeline.

The coalition is seeking tax-deductible contributions to support the effort to ensure that PennDOT restores the bridge in a way that’s sensitive to its historic significance.

Donations can be sent to the Newtown Creek Coalition, 234 S. State Street, Newtown, PA 18940. Write "Restore the Bridge" on the memo line on your check. The Newtown Creek Coalition is a non-profit organization.

For more information, call 215-968-4879.