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A PennDOT bridge project completed last week will provide smoother travel for drivers.

According to Civil Engineer Supervisor Adam Hoisington, the project included seven bridges.

Five of the bridges received deck rehabilitation and two bridges were demolished and rebuilt due to structural deficiency, Hoisington said.

Hoisington said the replaced bridges were on Route 62 and Route 3022, which both cross over Route 6.

The project began in March 2008 and was completed Sept. 3.

L.C. Whitford of Wellsville, NY was the prime contractor for the project.

Hoisington said the project cost $7,577,472 and contained two phases.

"Phase 1, which officially began in the Spring of 2008, was preceded by temporary cross-over work performed in the Fall of 2007," he said. "Cross-overs were constructed to span east to west over the medians."

During Phase 1, Brokenstraw Bridge #1 was rehabilitated, Hoisington said.

"Brokenstraw Bridge #2 consists of two bridges - one eastbound and one westbound.".

During this phase, Brokenstraw Bridge #2 and Irving Run Bridge were rehabilitated, he said.

"The reconstruction of the Route 62 bridge was completed at this time also," Hoisington said.

Phase 2, which picked up on March 30, included work on the ramp bridge leading to Route 62 and the overall reconstruction of the Route 3022 bridge.

"Despite all the rain, the weather didn't hold up the project," he said.

There were multiple traffic patterns but no major delays on the project, Hoisington said.

L.C. Whitford Project Manager and Estimator Kenny Porter said the project will give the bridges a greater life expectancy.

"It will help the bridges meet the greater highway demands of the loads which will pass over and under them," he said.

It's always fun to build bridges from the ground up and rehabilitate bridges, Porter said.

"We had everything that could be thrown at us in this project," he said.

Porter said the biggest obstacle was the time frame.

"A strict schedule was put forth by the planner," he said.

The company enjoys working in the Warren area, Porter said.

"We look forward to many more in the future," he said.