PennDOT Announces Early Reopening of Bargain Road Bridge in Erie County

The bridge that carries Bargain Road over Interstate 90 in McKean Township, Erie County reopened today, more than a month ahead of schedule. The project to rehabilitate and preserve the 65-year-old bridge and extend its service life included making repairs to the structure as well as milling and paving the deck and nearby roadway.

The project started on May 13, 2024, and required what was expected to be an approximately five-month closure of the bridge.

While the Bargain Road Bridge (Route 4103) is open to all traffic, crews remain in the area completing some finishing work. Drivers should be alert for temporary lane closures with traffic controlled by flaggers.

Approximately 800 vehicles use the bridge per day, on average.

The contractor is MEKIS Construction Corporation of Fenelton, PA. The contract cost is $763,516, which is to be paid entirely with federal funds.

This project is funded at least in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). In 2024 alone, the BIL is bringing approximately $25 million in additional funding to the northwest region to be allocated by the department and its local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization (MPO/RPO) partners. In the northwest region, the planning partners are the Erie Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Shenango Valley MPO, and the Northwest Rural Planning Organization (RPO), for projects in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.

This year PennDOT's Northwest Region expects to do work on more than 100 projects. To see a full listing of all the anticipated work, check out the 2024 Construction Book located under the Resources tab online at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.

PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.

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.pa.gov/District1.

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

Follow local PennDOT news on X and like the department on Facebook.

PennDOT District 1 is hiring for variety of positions, including CDL operators, mechanics, highway maintenance workers, civil engineers, construction inspectors, and transportation technicians. Apply online at www.employment.pa.gov.

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