August 11, 2016
An article was published in the Republican Herald, a daily newspaper in Pottsville, about construction on the Route 924 Bridge.
The first phase of the Gold Star Bridge replacement project in Shenandoah has been completed and traffic can now flow in both directions.
The west side of the bridge reopened Tuesday after five months of construction work that included demolishing half of the 214-foot span, with the two southbound lanes of state Route 924 at the south end of Shenandoah being the first half of the project.
Drivers will get a big break with the two new lanes opened.
For the past five months, only one lane on the east half of the bridge was open, allowing only for one-way traffic at a time from the north or south due to the poor structural condition of the northbound side. Solar-powered signals controlled the traffic flow 24 hours per day along Route 924 and from Herald Road, which caused delays as drivers waited to enter and leave Shenandoah.
The new traffic pattern will change that as drivers can drive right through without stopping.
The construction project, which is part of the state Department of Transportation Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, involves the complete replacement of the bridge, also called the South Shenandoah Bridge. The project was expected to begin in early February, but discussions with a nearby business to accommodate trucks entering and leaving its property delayed the start until early March.
Staged construction started in mid-March on the bridge over Kehley Run Creek and an abandoned railroad bed. The bridge was built in 1949 and averages about 5,500 vehicles a day.
The project plan involved constructing a new two-lane southbound half of the bridge to be opened in early summer, then close the northbound side for similar construction.
Five bridges were completed in Schuylkill County last year as part of the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. Two bridges, including the Shenandoah bridge, were scheduled to be replaced in 2016, with one completed. The Gold Star Bridge is the last bridge remaining, and due to its updated design, will be 203 feet long.
Public Information Coordinator Rory G. McGlasson of The Walsh Group said Tuesday the project is on track for the November completion goal.
“The site construction is done on the southbound side with traffic now in both directions. We should be finished with the northbound side by late November if we don’t have any issues,” McGlasson said.
McGlasson said getting the job done efficiently and on time helps the local businesses along Route 924 that are in the borough and Mahanoy Township.
“We understand the issues for the commercial properties along the route there and the temporary inconvenience for them, but we’re working the best we can to lessen the impact with signage and so forth to let the people know that they are still open,” McGlasson said. “Temporary inconvenience, permanent improvement in the area. This bridge is going to last over 100 years.”
The bridge projects are part of a Public-Private Partnership between PennDOT and Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners, under which PWKP will finance, design, replace and maintain the bridges for 25 years. As part of PWKP, Walsh/Granite JV will oversee construction. The P3 approach will allow PennDOT to replace the bridges more quickly while achieving significant savings and minimizing impact on motorists.
The state is taking advantage of the new P3 tool signed into law in 2012 to begin a new initiative to address the state’s roughly 4,000 structurally deficient bridges.
PWKP will replace 558 aging Pennsylvania bridges in three years, completing construction by the end of 2017. The bridges are primarily crossings on smaller state highways, many in rural areas, rather than interstate bridges or large river crossings. The team’s proposal was selected based on scoring that considered cost, financial capability to carry out the project, background and experience in managing comparable projects and understanding of the project.
jusalis@republicanherald.com