(Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify information regarding the closure of Morrison Bridge on Route 59.)
WARREN — The USDA Forest Service announced that Longhouse Scenic Drive will be temporarily closed to through-traffic from just south of Elijah Run Boat Launch to just north of the entrance to Kiasutha Recreation Area.
The closure is planned for Sept. 10 to Oct. 15. The construction zone on Longhouse Scenic Drive will open temporarily to allow detoured traffic to pass during PennDOT’s planned construction closures of the Morrison Bridge, which spans Kinzua Creek on Route 59.
PennDOT officials explained Morrison Bridge could be closed during two separate weekends for specific work required on the bridge. No closures have been scheduled yet and announcements will be made and signs posted as long as two weeks in advance of required work.
Longhouse Drive’s closure, in the meantime, is necessary to allow the construction contractor to replace under-road culverts crucial for water passage. The previous through-traffic road construction closure on Longhouse Scenic Drive between Dewdrop Campground and Elijah Run Boat Launch ended three days ahead of schedule on Sept. 6.
During construction, all recreation sites served by Longhouse Scenic Drive are planned to remain open for their respective seasons as scheduled. Access to Forest Roads 141 and 110 will remain open during construction. During the Sept. 10 to Oct. 15 closure, to reach the Trails at Jakes Rocks, Dewdrop Campground, and the Elijah Run Boat Launch, drive south from the intersection of Route 59 and Longhouse Scenic Drive. To reach Kiasutha Recreation Area, drive north from the intersection of Longhouse Scenic Drive and Route 321.
The temporary closure is part of an ongoing, multi-year, road reconstruction deferred maintenance project funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). The project is being accomplished via an interagency agreement between the Allegheny National Forest and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District. The $12.3 million contract was awarded to Bob Cummins Construction of Bradford. The project includes 156 under-road culvert replacements, installation of two aquatic organism passages, and the rehabilitation of eleven miles of two-lane paved road.
