Work will begin in earnest again on the U.S. Route 219 Bradford
Bypass project on Monday, according to officials with the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Major work on the two-year, $55 million project was halted for
the winter in December, with some crews from Mascaro Construction
Co. of Pittsburgh performing minor work on the bypass as the
weather permitted. The work has been ongoing for about a year.

Now, Tuna Valley residents will have to gear up again for
heavier traffic on city streets, detours and delays and blocked
streets.

Among the more detailed work occurring next week will include
the construction or rehabilitation of bridges over Mill Street,
Kendall Avenue and over Bolivar Run. Particularly, officials said
crews will continue working on the bridge deck over Mill Street,
the southbound bridge over Bolivar Run and forming the Kendall
Avenue bridge in the southbound lanes.

Flaggers will be in place to direct traffic in the Kendall
Avenue area, as required. Officials cautioned some minor delays can
be expected in that vicinity.

Meanwhile, officials said excavation work will continue on the
southbound lanes and ramps, along with storm drainage
installation.

Earlier this month, PennDOT officials briefed community leaders
about the upcoming work on the bypass, which will feature the
rehabilitation of North Kendall Avenue near the American Refining
Group refinery.

Work on the southbound lanes will also be completed this summer
before crews switch over and start the rehabilitation of the
northbound lanes and related bridges. The entire first phase of the
project should be completed by the spring of 2008, officials
said.

Another phase of the project – from the Bolivar Drive
interchange to the New York state border – will likely take place
during the 2009-2010 construction season.

Among the main traffic pattern switches occurring as part of the
work include a “weave pattern,” which will be in place by mid-May.
As part of the switch, the northbound and southbound traffic will
be transferred onto the new southbound lanes. The new traffic
configuration will begin just south of Mill Street. North of that
point, traffic will remain in the same pattern in both the
northbound and southbound lanes.

Officials said Mill Street will also likely be closed to traffic
during the course of the work.

The rehabilitation of North Kendall Avenue will occur during the
summer.

As it stands, on Monday the following ramps will remain closed:
all southbound on-and off-ramps at Kendall-Seaward avenues. Detour
signs will be in place for all ramp closures. Meanwhile, the
following ramps will remain open: all northbound and southbound
ramps at Owens Way; northbound off-ramp at Elm Street; southbound
on-ramp at Elm Street; northbound on-ramp at Forman Street;
southbound off-ramp at Forman Street; northbound on-and off-ramps
at Kendall Avenue; and all ramps at Bolivar Drive.

Traffic will be in this configuration until further notice.