Restoration of Longhouse Scenic Drive has been a project local and federal officials have targeted for years.

That work – a $12.2 million contract was awarded to Bradford-based Bob Cummins Construction – is set to be completed this summer.

That means that accessing the recreation sites along that road – Jakes Rocks, Dewdrop, Elijah and Kiasutha – will be a challenge at times this summer.

“Please understand that this work will impact recreation and travel along the scenic byway – there is no way around that,” Bradford District Ranger Rich Hatfield said. “There will be closures – some of the culverts are quite deep and it is not possible to leave the road open during construction.”

The Forest Service has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to bring their project management experience to the table for this effort.

Hatfield said that the work will include the replacement of most of the culverts on the road. Repaving, guardrails and signage are also part of the effort.

When the work will kick off is not yet clear.

Hatfield said that the contractor and the Army Corps of Engineers are currently exchanging paperwork.

“A construction schedule has not been approved,” he added. “We expect work to start this spring but there is no approved timeline yet.”

Traffic in that area will also be complicated by a multi-million dollar repair job set for the Morrison Bridge on Route 590.

According to PennDOT, the rehabilitation effort will include “structural steel repairs to the truss members, concrete repairs to the bridge piers and abutments, bearing replacements, and replacement of a navigational lighting system.”

A presentation included as part of an online plans display states that the steel repairs are needed to “address minor corrosion” and are “isolated” in nature.

The navigation lighting system will be replaced “to enhance boater safety.”

One lane of the bridge will be closed at a time for the duration of the project with temporary signals to be placed at each end of the bridge.

There will also be temporary signage to alert boating traffic to the work.

There will be two, 48-hour periods where the bridge will be closed completely.

According to PennDOT, those will both take place after Labor Day “and the peak recreational season” next fall.