Category: Announcements || By Submitted Report

The Boston Bridge will reopen to two-way traffic on Oct. 10, an official at the state Department of Transportation said.

The bridge that carries Route 48 over the Youghiogheny River between Versailles and Elizabeth Township was scheduled to reopen on Sept. 27 after a $17.3 million rehabilitation project. But repairs to the 80-year-old structure have "proven to be more difficult than anyone anticipated," said Dan Cessna, executive in charge of PennDOT District 11.

"When you are dealing with an old structure like this, additional, unknown problems that must be addressed are often revealed after work begins," Cessna said.

"We understand the impact this extension of the long-term closure will have on commuter and local residents, but we simply have no other choice," he said. "The work must be completed to safely reopen the bridge and extend its service life."

A long-term closure was needed to replace what are called truss-pin assemblies --- the movable joints that hold together the different structural members of the bridge.

That, in turn, required removing the bridge's deck --- the part that supports the pavement.

Crews are currently placing a new deck on the bridge, said Jim Struzzi, district PennDOT spokesman, but the work can't be done with traffic on the bridge.

When the bridge reopens, a single 10-foot wide lane in each direction will be maintained during morning and evening rush-hours, but a barrier will remain in place on one side of the bridge, Struzzi said. Occasional lane closures and overnight and weekend detours will be necessary throughout the fall to complete the work.

All of the work is now scheduled for completion in late December, Struzzi said.

About 17,000 cars and trucks use the bridge on an average day, according to PennDOT traffic measurements. General contractor on the job is Trumbull Corp. of Pittsburgh.

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