Following approval from the Montgomery County, Pa., board of commissioners, bridges in Hanover, West Pottsgrove, Towamencin, Douglass, Lower Salford and Lower Merion townships will be replaced.
An investment of approximately $931,500 is being made, in effort to shore up a glaring need in the county’s infrastructure.
“Only seven bridge projects were in design or construction when we took office, and there was need for 50 plus more,” said Commissioner Josh Shapiro. “In the last three and a half years, we have removed five bridges from the list of structurally unsound bridges, and there are another 31 in the process.”
The breakdown in allotted funding for the projects is as follows:
• In Lower Merion Township, a contract for $278,390 was awarded to Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC of King of Prussia for engineering services to replace the Morris Avenue Bridge over Mill Creek. The bridge was built in 1925, and has an average daily traffic of about 5,118 vehicles;
• In Lower Salford Township, a contract for $285,400 was awarded to Gannett Fleming of Audobon for engineering services to replace the Bergeys Mill Road Bridge over Perkiomen Creek. The bridge was built in 1893, and is currently closed;
• In Douglass Township, a contract for $148,600 was awarded to Michael Baker International of Horsham for engineering services to replace the Paper Mill Road Bridge over Perkiomen Creek. The bridge was built in 1938, and is currently closed;
• In Towamencin Township, a contract for $85,850 was awarded to Larson Design Group of Lilitz for engineering services to replace the Rittenhouse Road Bridge over Skippack Creek. The bridge was built in 1908, and has an average daily traffic of about 4,090 vehicles;
• In West Pottsgrove Township, a contract for $71,579 was awarded to Pickering, Corts & Summerson of Newtown for engineering services to replace the Old Reading Pike Bridge over Yeagers Creek. The bridge was built in 1912, and has an average daily traffic of about 1,399 vehicles; and
• In Hanover Township, a contract for $61,614 was awarded to Pickering, Corts & Summerson of Newtown for engineering services to replace the Deep Creek Road Bridge over Deep Creek. The bridge was listed as a top candidate for replacement by the county earlier this year.
