Work will begin soon to rehabilitate the James Morrison Memorial Bridge that carries Route 59 over the Kinzua Reservoir in Mead Township, Warren County.

Work on the bridge, which is located near the border of Warren and McKean counties, and is expected to start May 19, 2020, weather permitting. 

The project will include the reconstruction of the two-lane concrete structure in multiple phases, including new barriers and bridge deck and repairs to the expansion dams. Work will also include new roadway approaches and guiderail updates.

One lane of the bridge will remain open throughout the project and traffic will be controlled through the use of a temporary signal, which is expected to be in place on June 1, 2020. Motorists may also encounter lane restrictions with traffic controlled by flaggers. Drivers should be alert for traffic pattern shifts and lane restrictions.

The bridge is expected to be fully reopened by October 23, 2020.

The existing bridge was built in 1963. Approximately 1,650 vehicles a day use the bridge, on average.

The contractor is Thornbury Inc. Of West Sunbury, PA. The contract cost is $1,508,775.75, which is to be paid with 80 percent federal funds and 20 percent state funds.

This project was made possible by Act 89, Pennsylvania’s transportation funding plan.

Information on the project is available online at www.penndot.gov/district1 by clicking on the Construction Projects/Roadway link under the Resources heading, picking the Warren County box then choosing the Route 59 Bridge Rehabilitation tile. 

PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 950 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1.

Follow PennDOT’s northwest region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northwestregionpenndot.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035

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