​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that eastbound and westbound traffic on Interstate 90 in Springfield Township, Erie County will be rerouted starting this evening as the demolition of the Route 215 bridge, which crosses over the highway, gets underway.

The closure will be in place between the on and off ramps at Exit 6 (Route 215, East Springfield/Albion). Traffic will be directed to use the ramps as the detour to remain on I-90. Drivers on I-90, who wish to exit onto Route 215 should follow the detour signs for the direction they would like to travel.

Route 215 through traffic should use Route 6N, Route 18 to Route 20. Drivers on Route 215 are also advised to use the on ramps at Routes 6N and 18 to access I-90 whenever possible.

Demolition of the bridge is expected to start Wednesday, January 13, and continue through Tuesday, January 19.

The Route 215 bridge was damaged during a crash on Monday, January 11. An over-height load on a truck struck the bridge over the right, eastbound lane.

It is slated for replacement in connection with an I-90 reconstruction project focused on the roadway from mile marker 3.5 to mile marker 10. The work to construction the new bridge is expected to start in spring 2021. The new structure will allow for greater vertical clearance of the traffic on I-90.

The current bridge, which is steel made of I-beams, was built in 1959 and was previously rated as fair condition. It is used by approximately 1,000 vehicles per day, on average.

Lindy Paving of New Galilee, PA is the contractor for the I-90 reconstruction project. Mekis Construction Corp. of Fenelton, PA, will be handling the removal of the bridge.

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 1,000 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 and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1.

Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

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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