Times Observer file photo Work that will see restricted traffic on the Morrison Bridge over the Kinzua arm of the Allegheny Reservoir is set to start next week. It’s one of several major roadway projects that will be completed in the county this construction season.

Roadwork season is upon us.

One major project is underway, another starts next week and 14 blocks in the City of Warren will be repaved later this summer.

The project that’s underway centers on US 6 between Yankee Bush Rd. and Main Ave. in Conewango and Pleasant townships.

According to PennDOT, that’s an $11 million project that, this year, will include paving as well as work on multiple bridges, including the span over the Allegheny River near Betts Park.

A $6 million project to rehabilitate the Morrison Bridge over the Kinzua arm of the Allegheny Reservoir is projected to begin next week and take up to 15 months to complete.

“One lane on the bridge will be closed across the entire length of the bridge throughout the duration of this work,” PennDOT Press Officer Jill Harry said. “Traffic will be controlled by temporary signals at each end of the bridge.”

Work will “involve structural steel repairs to the truss members, concrete repairs to the bridge piers and abutments, bearing replacements, and replacement of a navigational lighting system,” per PennDOT.

The bridge will be closed entirely for two, 48-hour windows in September after Labor Day. The detour for those closures will use US 6 and Rt. 321.

“An Aids to Navigation Plan has been coordinated with the PA Fish and Boat Commission and temporary signs for boating traffic along the channel will be posted during construction,” Harry said.

The bridge was built in 1962 and was rated in “fair” condition.

Adjacent to the bridge, a sizable project to replace culverts on Longhouse Scenic Drive is set to start this summer but no date has yet been set for when that project will kick off.

Later this summer, paving work will occur in the City of Warren.

City Manager Mike Holtz said the city’s paving contract for 2024 will include $481,924.40 in work and also include repaving the fire hall parking lot.

State liquid fuels funds and city general fund dollars will fund the contract, which was awarded at the April council meeting to IA Construction.

Holtz said the goal is to have the paving work completed by the first day of school this fall.

Here are the streets to be paved this year under that contract, according to documentation from the City of Warren: Branch St. from Jackson Ave. to Dahl St.; Canton St. from Pennsylvania Ave. to the dead end; Dahl St. from Prospect St. to Branch St.; W. Fifth Ave. from the bridge to Market St.; Hinkle St. from Carter St. to Prospect St.; Parker St. from Madison Ave. to the dead end as well as Swiss St.

In addition, paving will be completed on Madison Ave., Lexington Ave. and Crescent Park as part of the Local Federal Aid Route Program, according to PennDOT.

PennDOT says that more than 100 projects totaling more than $300 million will be completed across the northwest region this year.

State dollars in the 2023-24 budget were used to “fully leverage” $125 million in funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“The investment is made possible by decoupling Pennsylvania State Police funding from the Motor License Fund and is the first year of the Governor’s four-year proposal to invest an additional $1.25 billion in the state’s infrastructure,” according to PennDOT.

“Funding from BIL, as well as discretionary and grant awards secured by the district and our transportation partners, has enabled us to take on a robust 2024 construction and design plan that includes improvements to 120 miles of roadway, as well as replacing, restoring, repairing, or awarding contracts for 49 bridges,” District 1 Executive Brian McNulty said.