PennDOT Proposes Replacement of Route 1004, Section 671 Superstructure in Damascus Township, Wayne County

Dunmore, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Engineering District 4 (PennDOT) is proposing to replace the superstructure of the bridge carrying SR 1004 (River Road) over Calkins Creek, located in Damascus Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The existing bridge, built in 1957, is not individually eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), nor does it contribute to the surrounding NRHP eligible Milanville Historic District.

The proposed replacement structure is a single-span composite pre-stressed concrete spread box beam bridge, on the existing alignment. When the superstructure replacement is complete, the new bridge will accommodate pedestrian traffic by use of a wider shoulder on the upstream side of the roadway. Architectural treatments are to be integrated into the proposed design. These include powder coating the PA Type 10 bridge barriers and guiderail the brown color typically used by the National Park Service (NPS). Beams, abutments and wingwalls will be stained the NPS brown color. Architectural surface treatments on the bridge elevations (form liner) will be done in a blue stone pattern, and the scour protection material (rip rap) around the abutments will incorporate local stone that is intended to match the form liner.

Traffic control during construction will include a single-lane, alternating pattern controlled by temporary signals during half-width construction. Pedestrians will be accommodated during construction with a designated signal phase to allow them to safely cross the bridge on temporary lanes.

Applicable Regulations

The project area occurs entirely within the boundary of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Corridor (UDSRRC). The UDSRRC is protected under Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966 and Section 2002 of Pennsylvania Act 120. This requires PennDOT to comply with certain regulations. PennDOT intends to process a Section 4(f) De Minimis Use/Section 2002 No Adverse Use form for this project. Public involvement is a required part of the Section 4(f)/Section 2002 evaluation process, and this press release/public notice provides the interested public the opportunity to comment on the project, including its potential to impact the UDSRRC.

Project Impacts

The project will require 0.397 acres of temporary construction easement (TCE) and 0.005 acres of required drainage easement from within the UDSRRC management area boundary to accommodate construction activities. Additionally, 0.088 acres of required aerial easement will allow access for future maintenance activities, and a combined 200 sq. ft. of existing legal slope easement exists on both sides of SR 1004. The area covered by the TCE will be off-limits to the public during construction and marked by temporary protective fence. Areas subject to earth disturbance within the TCEs will be fully restored following construction to a condition similar to that which existed prior to the project. However, on Parcel 6 and Parcel 4, a portion of the TCE will be subject to minor earth disturbance for tree removal and trimming. Compensation for the vegetation to be removed within the TCE is anticipated to be negotiated with the property owners during the PennDOT right-of-way acquisition process, with those areas being reseeded following construction. The TCE areas will be returned to the private property owners and to the National Park Service at the completion of this project. Upon completion of construction, public use will be permitted and will be commensurate with use prior to construction. A Section 4(f) Impact Plan accompanies this press release/public notice.

Finding

PennDOT intends on completing the Environmental Clearance for the project by preparing a Categorical Exclusion Evaluation (CEE) Bridge and Roadway Programmatic Agreement (BRPA). This document will include a Section 4(f) De Minimis Use/Section 2002 No Adverse Use evaluation. This evaluation considers and evaluates PennDOT's action, which is the bridge superstructure replacement, and its potential to adversely affect the activities, features, and attributes that qualify the UDSRRC for protection under Section 4(f)/Section 2002. Based on the evaluation, PennDOT intends to make a finding that the project will not result in permanent adverse impacts to the UDSRRC, and will not adversely affect the activities, features, and attributes that qualify the property for protection under Section 4(f)/Section 2002.

Comment Period and Submittal of Comments

The period for public comment associated with this notice is: October 7, 2024 through October 21, 2024. Persons reviewing this notice can provide comments or obtain additional information by contacting the following:

​Primary Contact: Justin R. Mitchell, PE, PTOE
SAI Consulting Engineers, Inc.
2 Lem oyne Drive, Suite 101
Lemoyne, PA 17043
[email protected]
(717) 763-5005

Secondary Contact: Carmen Mancebo Clase, PE, Project Manager
PennDOT District 4-0
55 Keystone Industrial Park Road
Dunmore, PA 18512
[email protected]

(570) 963-3190

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