Centre Ave Bridge to be Discussed at Special Meeting Tonight

Members of the community can learn more about the effort to preserve the county’s oldest bridge during a public meeting tonight at the .

The meeting will include an update on the status of the Centre Avenue Bridge restoration project and provide an opportunity for the community to organize around the effort to protect its historic integrity. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Centre Avenue branch's Operations Center. 

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. 

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