A Warren County bridge has moved off the structurally deficient list and into the closed category.
On Wednesday, PennDOT closed the Cemetery Road bridge in Spring Creek Township for repairs. That closure is expected to last until April 1, 2013.
The posted detour diverts motorists using Route 426 and Old Route 77.
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Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry
Closed
The Cemetery Road Bridge over Brokenstraw Creek in Spring Creek Township is closed for repairs.
In the interest of public safety, the bridge was closed after an inspection during the week of September 24, according to PennDOT District Press Officer Jim Carroll. The inspections and follow-up evaluations were handled in-house by PennDOT inspectors and engineers.
The bridge had been posted with a three-ton weight restriction. "The primary concern was the continued ability of the bridge to support a three-ton load," Carroll said. "Closing the bridge will help avoid any more damage to the wooden bridge deck."
Part of the deck will be replaced along with the bridge's deteriorated stringers. "Stringers are beams in the superstructure," Carroll said. "They are the members that support the bridge deck."
The repairs will be handled by PennDOT Warren County Maintenance. The repair has been allotted several months to allow the crew to order the materials and fit the project into the existing workload, including winter maintenance.
The 103-foot-long, 123-year-old, Pratt Truss bridge carries an average of 164 vehicles a day over Brokenstraw Creek, according to PennDOT.