​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is alerting area drivers to the start of replacement work on two Route 46 bridges in Norwich Township, McKean County. The bridges are about 2 ½ miles apart.

One bridge spans Lost Run near the village of Betula. It is 13-feet long, dates from 1925 and carries almost 500 vehicles each day. The second bridge spans a branch of Potato Creek about one mile south of Colegrove. It is 11-feet long, dates from 1927, and carries almost 500 vehicles each day. Replacing these bridges will improve their rating from poor to good.

Starting Tuesday, June 8, preliminary work will begin to mobilize equipment, install erosion and sediment controls, and begin construction of temporary roadways. During this first phase of work, drivers will encounter an alternating traffic pattern enforced by roadway flaggers. Drivers should expect short travel delays.

Once the temporary roads are complete, traffic will use them to move through each work zone and work to replace the bridges will begin. Overall work includes removal of the existing structures, construction of new Precast Concrete Box Culverts approach work consisting of base, binder and wearing courses, guide rail updates, drainage, pavement markings, and miscellaneous items.

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. The plan includes protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the job site and relevant training.

The contractor on this $1.3 million job is Dean Construction, Inc. of Smethport, PA. Work will take place through October and is weather and schedule dependent. PennDOT reminds drivers to use caution in 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 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 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:  Marla Fannin 814-360-3013, Timothy Nebgen (814) 360-3838

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