FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2023

Contact: Krys Johnson,krysjohnso@pa.gov

PennDOT to Begin Construction on Merlin Road Bridge Replacement in East Pikeland Township, Chester County

King of Prussia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that construction is scheduled to begin Tuesday, January 2, 2024, to replace the bridge carrying Merlin Road over Pigeon Run in East Pikeland Township, Chester County

Motorists are advised of the following travel restriction:

• Tuesday, January 2, 2024, through Sunday, April 14, 2024, Merlin Road will be closed and detoured 24/7 between Pikeland Road and Coldstream Road in East Pikeland and Charlestown townships. During the closure, motorists will be directed to use Coldstream Road, Charlestown Road, Church Road, and Pikeland Road. Local access will be maintained for residents and businesses.

Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through or near the work areas because backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.

Under this contract, PennDOT’s contractor will replace the 24-foot-wide, 16-foot-long steel I-beam structure with a concrete box beam bridge that will measure 27 feet and 6.5 inches in width and 18 feet in length. The new bridge will allow for 10-foot-wide travel lanes and 2-foot-wide shoulders to improve traffic safety. Other improvements include new signage and roadway design features through pavement markings; milling and resurfacing; drainage; and guiderail replacements.

The existing bridge was built in 1908 and reconstructed in 1950. The structure is listed in poor condition, with severe corrosion, pitting, and rust. The bridge carries an average of 1,923 vehicles a day.

Lobar Site Development Corporation of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, is the general contractor on the $962,774 project which is financed with 100% state funds. The entire project is expected to be finished in fall 2024.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions, 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.

For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.

Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Subscribe to PennDOT District 6 news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.

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