July 12, 2018
Construction for the Route 1012 (Ritchey Bridge Road) bridge, spanning the Raystown Branch Juniata River in West Providence Township, Bedford County, started in August 2017 as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. Replacement of this bridge will allow PennDOT to remove it from Bedford County’s poor bridge list.
During demolition of the existing
structure debris has closed the safe channel for non-motorized
watercrafts at the bridge. Non-motorized watercraft users currently are unable to travel through the area and should use extreme caution if in the area. Construction crews are in the process to restore the safe passage. Updates on when the passage is open will be released in the near future. Route 1012 (Ritchey Bridge Road) has been closed to vehicular traffic since Monday for crews to construct the roadway tie-ins to the new structure. The roadway will is expected to open in early August.
This bridge is referred to as JV-316 and is one out of the 558 bridges being replaced under the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. JV references the joint-venture partnership between Walsh/Granite, which is leading construction for the entire project.