Work to replace Mercer County bridge damaged in crash expected to finish early

SHENANGO TWP., Pa. (WKBN) – Just a few months after work got underway, the new bridge carrying State Route 318 over Interstate 376 in Shenango Township is already taking shape.

“The fact that we only started to design this bridge at the beginning of the year and here we are, talking about it near the end of summer and we’re on schedule to have it open in the fall,” said Jill Harry, with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Back in December, a truck crashed into the underside of the bridge deck , slicing into the steel support beams.

Engineers immediately closed the overpass for SR 318, which connects the West Middlesex area with Mercer and allows nearby businesses to access local interstates.

At the time of the crash last December, PennDOT engineers expected the bridge would have at least another 20 years of life left to it.

We’re told 13,000 vehicles pass through this stretch of I-376 each day and another 3,200 use the overpass.

PennDOT officials knew they had to work quickly on a replacement .

“Usually, it would take two or three years just in the design process and then to get to the construction process after that,” Harry said.

As the old bridge was being demolished, engineers managed to have the design work completed in less than four months and construction got underway in April .

Part of the work includes building up the approaches and ramps to the overpass so it can be two feet higher over the road below.

“It is now going to meet that new standard to allow those larger loads that weren’t envisioned when they started building the interstate back in the ’50s,” Harry said.

As the work continues, an adjacent Park & Ride lot will be closed for the next few months starting Monday but PennDOT intends to reopen on- and off-ramps as they’re ready.

The entire $5 million project is to be completed this November.

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