PennDOT highlights plans for Rochester-Monaca bridge, predicts 39 days of closure in 2023
MONACA — As Beaver County bridges' safety has become highlighted this year, the state is looking at ways to improve another major roadway in the area.
PennDOT shared a digital presentation for its construction plans on the Monaca Rochester Bridge on Friday, highlighting potential improvements to the structure. The slideshow shows that the construction would close the bridge to traffic for 39 days in the summer of 2023.
Construction would aim to improve the bridge's safety to meet modern standards and provide a consistent way across the Ohio River below. Some of these safety improvements include concrete deck overlays, leaking expansion joint replacement, concrete repair, steel repair, new drainage systems, railings for pedestrians and updated signage.
The project would be completed in phases, with Phase 1 beginning on an undecided date in the summer of 2023. Throughout Phases 1 and 2, the bridge would be closed to traffic for 29 days. During this period, the sidewalk would still be open to the pedestrians seeking to cross the bridge.
During Phase 2A, the roadway would be reopened to traffic for 26 days. At the beginning of Phase 3, the roadway would once again be closed for a period of 10 days until the project is completed. PennDOT did not specify what was being done during these individual phases of the projects.
The closure would cause a detour to the Monaca-East Rochester Bridge, adding around 2.5 miles to motorists' drives. Due to the detour, PennDOT would modify traffic by closing Ohio River Boulevard's northbound inside through lane and providing a lane separator north of the intersection and fully closing the southbound through lane.
Crews would also restrict left turns from Stewart Avenue, adding a local detour for residents.
South of the bridge in Monaca, there would also be roadway modifications. PennDOT proposed installing a temporary traffic signal and removing the longer island and a portion of the shorter island to install temporary pavement at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
They would also realign the 17th Street southbound approach to provide a left turn and right turn lane and remove the spur that receives the eastbound left turns during this period.
PennDOT has opened the project to public feedback now on the bridge project's webpage. The full project presentation can also be viewed on this webpage.
Garret Roberts is the local Public Priority reporter for The Beaver County Times. He can be contacted at groberts1@gannett.com and can be followed on Twitter at @ReportedRoberts.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: PennDOT plans for Monaca Rochester bridge opened to public comment
