Tidioute Truss Bridge Photo submitted to the Times Observer The Tidioute Truss Bridge is pictured. A public meeting will be held May 12 to discuss a rehabilitation project for the bridge.

TIDIOUTE — The state Transportation Department will host a public meeting May 12 to discuss the Tidioute Truss Bridge Preservation Project.

The state is proposing to rehabilitate the bridge that carries Route 127 (Buckingham Street) over the Allegheny River in Tidioute Borough and Limestone Township. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. May 12 at Tidioute Volunteer Fire Department Station 71, 228 Main St., Tidioute.

The bridge is located on Route 127 (Buckingham Street) between the intersection with Route 62 and Main Street. The project is estimated to cost $5 million to $7.5 million, with 80% of the funding coming from the federal government and 20% from the state government.

Since this is a bridge preservation project, existing site conditions will be maintained or improved. The proposed road work is anticipated to be limited to milling and overlay on each approach and guide rail improvements on the far approach. The horizontal alignment, vertical alignment, and typical section will be developed to closely match the existing conditions. The bridge project itself will include repair of deteriorated concrete, repointing of deteriorated masonry joints at the pier, steel repairs, reconstruction of the pier bearing seats and repair of the abutment bearing seats, cleaning and repairing the bearings, replacing the expansion joints with a new neoprene strip seal dam, painting structural steel at select locations, replacing the overlay on bridge deck and replacing the guide rail on the north end of the bridge.

Work is expected to occur in the 2028 construction season.

A detour will be required during construction. The proposed 17.9-mile detour route will be posted using Route 62 and Route 127 and is expected to be in place from June 2028 until August 2028. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers during other phases of the project.

The existing two-span steel Pratt truss bridge was built in 1933 and was rehabilitated in 1945, 1978, and 2002. It is rated in fair condition. Approximately 1,600 vehicles a day use the bridge, on average.

The public may also view the plans for the Tidioute Truss Bridge Preservation Project online through at www.pa.gov/DOTDistrict1. Information can be found under the Projects Near You option located at the top of the webpage. The project page includes digital copies of the project fact sheet and a comment form. Following the meeting, the presentation and proposed plans will also be available on the website.

Those unable to access the information online or attend the meeting may give feedback by contacting PennDOT Project Manager Kyle Barker at kybarker@pa.gov or 814-678-7166.

The purpose of the in-person meeting and the project webpage is to introduce the project and receive public input regarding any questions or concerns with the project. It is also an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the project’s potential effect upon Cultural Resources pursuant to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 36 CFR Part 800 regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The in-person public meeting is being held in a facility that complies with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it is accessible to individuals who have disabilities. The project documents will be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation/interpretation services or have special needs or have special concerns that require individual attention, contact Kyle Barker, PennDOT Project Manager, at kybarker@pa.gov or 814-678-7166.