Now’s the time to drag those relaxation techniques out of the
closet. It’s going to get a lot busier around here.
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
revealed its plans for the long-anticipated $55 million
reconstruction of the U.S. Route 219 Bradford Bypass project, which
will bring extensive detours, long lines of traffic and some
inconvenience for Tuna Valley businesses and residents.
However, when completed, the 6.93-mile bypass will feature a new
road surface, bridges and ramps, and alleviate a major headache for
travelers driving through the region on the deteriorating span.
About 20 local officials from the three municipalities the
bypass crosses, police and fire departments, local PennDOT
officials and representatives from various businesses, including
American Refining Group, attended the meeting at ARG’s R&D
Building on North Kendall Avenue to air concerns about the project
and listen to details on how the roughly four-year project will
unfold.
“Our goal is that a few years from now, we’ll walk out there and
everybody will still be in business and there is a new highway,”
Thomas Zurat, PennDOT portfolio manager, told those in attendance.
“We realize there are going to be inconveniences and we’ll take
into account your worries as much as we can.”
All told, the project – under the guidance of main contractor
Mascaro Construction Co. of Pittsburgh – will be done in four
phases, with an additional segment from the Bolivar Drive area to
the New York state border being completed in 2009.
According to Zurat, work on the project has already begun, with
crews from Mascaro working Monday to remove guiderails and
right-of-way fences in the northbound lanes of the highway near
Owens Way. Crews could also be seen under the Mill Street bridge
performing sewer line and utility work.
As part of the preliminary work – Phase I of the project –
northbound traffic will also be restricted to one lane from Owens
Way to Elm Street until further notice. Work had been delayed three
times within a week due to inclement weather.
“There is going to be temporary paving in the northbound
shoulder and ramps at the Owens Way, Elm Street and Forman Street
exits,” Zurat said, adding emergency pull-off areas will also be
added. “That work is being done so we can direct traffic onto the
shoulders.”
Zurat said when the bulk of the primary work starts within a
month – Phase II from Owens Way to the Bolivar Drive bridge from
about mid-May through mid-October – crews will be focusing on the
compete rehabilitation and removal of bridges in the southbound
lanes, in part, because previous studies have indicated the highway
is in worse condition there. Also during that time, traffic will be
rerouted onto the northbound passing lanes. During the winter of
2006-07, both lanes of travel will be open, along with the
ramps.
“When the southbound lanes are being done, the Forman Street
off-ramp will be closed and a detour will be set up from Owens Way
to South Avenue to the downtown area,” Zurat said, adding a large
amount of the detours will focus on truck traffic and how to easily
direct it around the valley.
When work progresses to the Kendall Avenue section, traffic will
be diverted to Seaward Avenue and Bolivar Drive.
Officials said Phase III – starting in the spring of 2007 and
including work on in the northbound lanes and ramps from Owens Way
to the Bolivar Drive bridge – will also entail rehabilitation work
on Kendall Avenue from East Main Street to the approach of the
bridge located near ARG that spans the Tunungwant Creek.
“We will maintain access to the businesses and residents along
Kendall Avenue when the work is being done,” Zurat said, however,
there will be brief periods of time where access is restricted.
Zurat said while the bypass will be resurfaced with bituminous
material, the majority of Kendall Avenue will be completed with
concrete. Officials said there will also be changes to the deck of
the Kendall Avenue bridge and a new traffic signal placed at the
East Main Street intersection.
There will be access to the side streets along the avenue,
according to Zurat.
Officials said Phase IV, taking place at the end of the 2007
construction season, will entail the reconstruction of the median
area along the stretch of the bypass and the opening of all the
ramps.
To that end, Zurat said short-term detours – which will take
effect during the replacement of the bridges – will be in place at
Elm, Main and Forman streets and Kendall Avenue, while Mill Street
will have a detour in place throughout the length of the
project.
“We try not to make separate detours for trucks and cars,” Zurat
said, adding enforcement problems arise when that is done. “We try
to use state routes as much as we can for detours. We are
essentially detouring the traffic that wants to get around and use
the city streets.”
Zurat said both the Elm and Main street intersections won’t be
closed at the same time when the bridge work is done, noting when
work is progressing on the Elm Street bridge, Main Street will be
open and vice versa.
During some of that work, traffic will be rerouted from East
Main Street to Bolivar Drive, up Jackson Avenue and down Davis
Street.
Officials said a field office for the project will be located at
the former Bradford Electronics building on High Street and at
least weekly updates on the work will be issued by PennDOT. Also,
news of the project will be placed on highway advisory radio and
electronic message boards will be installed at various points along
the bypass.
Zurat said available working hours for the project range from 7
a.m. to 11 p.m.
