Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that work to repair a bridge along Route 879 in Pike Township, Clearfield County, is scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 26. The bridge spans Anderson Creek near Curwensville and repairing it will remove the structure from Clearfield County’s list of bridges in “poor” condition.

Work on this project will be done in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the job site and relevant training.

Tomorrow, crews will place temporary traffic signals in preparation for the start of work. The signals will be set to flash mode until work begins on May 26, at which time they will become fully operational and begin enforcing an alternating traffic pattern that will see drivers take turns crossing the bridge.   Some of the work will require an overnight closure of the bridge and the implementation of a detour. That work is expected to take place overnight to minimize traffic impact. PennDOT will issue an update when the date of the closure and the official detour route have been announced.

Work will include replacing the existing T-beams, repairs to the concrete abutments, piers, deck, and barriers, guiderail installation, approach paving and miscellaneous construction.

The bridge was originally built in 1950, is 127-feet long and is traveled by an average of more than 4,800 vehicles per day.

PennDOT expects to complete work on this bridge by early November. It will fully open the bridge to traffic earlier if work progress allows. All work is weather and schedule dependent.

This is the seventh and final bridge to see repair and preservation work under a contract covering seven structures in Clearfield County. Work on the other bridges was completed in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

HRI, Inc. of State College is the contractor for this $4.8 million contract. PennDOT urges drivers to use caution in and around work zones, obey posted speed limits, and always buckle up.

Motorists are encouraged to “Know Before They Go” by checking conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles 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 Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, and Potter counties at www.penndot.gov/District2.

For regional updates on Twitter, follow www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL    MEDIA CONTACT:  Timothy Nebgen (814) 360-3838