It takes a lot of bridges to keep Lawrence County connected.
Lawrence County is responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and, when necessary, the repair or replacement of 27 bridges.
PennDOT is responsible for the same responsibilities for 262 bridges in Lawrence County. There are also bridges that are the responsibility of townships and municipalities.
The county is well connected with more than 319 bridges.
County Commissioner Dan Vogler said the largest bridge owned by the county is the Leslie Sabo Memorial Bridge also known as the Ewing Park Bridge.
“This bridge, constructed in 2005, crosses the Connoquenessing Creek and is referred to as a steel multi-girder structure type bridge,” Vogler said.
In 2012, county commissioners named the bridge in honor and memory of Lt. Leslie H. Sabo, Jr.
“This young man was killed while serving his country in Vietnam in 1970 and is a recipient of the Medal of Honor,” Vogler said.
The only other county-owned bridge in the Ellwood City area is the McCartney Hollow Road Bridge, located in Perry Township which crosses a tributary to the Slippery Rock Creek.
There are two covered bridges, both built in the 1880s, remaining in Lawrence County. They are the Banks covered bridge in Wilmington Township and the McConnells Mill covered bridge in Slippery Rock Township located adjacent to the mill in McConnells Mill State Park.
“Many people believe that since the bridge sits within state park property that it is a state-owned bridge. It is, in fact, a county-owned bridge,” Vogler said.
The McConnells Mill Bridge in Slippery Rock Township was built in 1874 and the Banks Bridge in Wilmington Township was built in 1889. Through the years these two bridges have been rehabilitated and strengthened. Currently, the McConnells Mill Bridge has a seven-ton weight limit and the Banks Bridge has a 12-ton weight limit.
The county's oldest non-covered bridge is the Cooks Crossing Bridge in Little Beaver Township. It was built in 1892 and currently has a 14-ton weight limit. Plans are being developed for the rehabilitation of that bridge.
On May 25, a ceremony was held at the county-owned North Street Bridge, that crosses Neshannock Creek, in the City of New Castle. Earlier this year, the county commissioners voted to name the bridge the Cpl. Albert P. Gettings Bridge, in memory and honor of Gettings.
“This young man, a Marine, killed while serving his country in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006. His parents reside in New Castle and his father, David Gettings, served as Lawrence County Controller for many years,” Vogler said.
In Lawrence County, the major waterways are the Shenango River, Neshannock Creek and the Mahoning River, which form the Beaver River. Also, the Slippery Rock Creek and Connoquenessing Creek empty into the Beaver River.
The Lawrence County-owned bridges are located in the following municipalities: City of New Castle (five bridges); Little Beaver Township, Mahoning Township, Scott Township, Shenango Township, Slippery Rock Township, Wilmington Township (two bridges each); Ellwood City Borough, New Beaver Borough, Hickory Township, North Beaver Township, Perry Township, Plain Grove Township, Pulaski Township, Washington Township, (one bridge each). The Coverts Crossing Bridge, which crosses the Mahoning River, is located in two townships, Union on the eastern side and Mahoning on the western side. Also, the Russell Road Bridge, which crosses Little Beaver Creek, is located in Enon Valley Borough on the southern side and Little Beaver Township on the northern side.
The remaining Lawrence County municipalities (the boroughs of Bessemer, Ellport, New Wilmington, SNPJ, South New Castle, Volant and Wampum and the townships of Neshannock, Taylor and Wayne) have no county bridges located within their boundaries.
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