The future replacement of an 89-year-old bridge on Skippack Pike/Route 73 in Skippack Township is the topic of a virtual public meeting scheduled by PennDOT on June 13 at 7 p.m. via Microsoft Live Teams, the department announced Friday.
PennDOT is proposing replacing the existing two-span, reinforced concrete T-beam bridge that crosses over Skippack Creek with a single-span, reinforced concrete bridge, called a PA Bulb-Tee beam bridge, per MyChesCo.com. It is located in the area of Evansburg State Park on Route 73 between Bustard Road and Evansburg Road.
The proposed bridge would have two 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders, as well as a trail connection requested by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, according to the report.
PennDOT said the purpose of the replacement is to improve the bridge’s integrity during storm events, including improved drainage and other functional elements to mitigate flood risks.
The current bridge, according to PennDOT, has a curb-to-curb width of 40 feet, with 12-foot lanes, a 3-foot shoulder, a 5-foot sidewalk along the westbound lane, and an 8-foot shoulder along the eastbound lane.
PennDOT said the project will be completed in three phases, forcing traffic to one lane in each direction. The project will replace the existing sidewalk with a barrier-separated, nearly 8-foot-wide sidewalk along the bridge. On the westbound approach, a sidewalk will tie in to an existing parking lot, PennDOT said. An eastbound sidewalk will end after the bridge to a graded shoulder.
Residents and attendees can attend the free meeting via this link, prior to the 7 p.m. start time. There will be a Q&A session.
Contact PennDOT Project Manager Judith Arena or Consultant Designer Project Manager Cathy Farrell if anyone has special needs or requires additional assistance.
A recording of the meeting and project materials will be available on the project website. Submit a comment online here.
