New Kensington Bridge underpass in East Deer to close Monday
The underpass under the New Kensington Bridge in East Deer will close Monday, according to PennDOT.
Northbound Freeport Road under the New Kensington Bridge will close at 7 a.m. and remain closed through late September.
Travelers headed north on Freeport Road, toward Tarentum, will use the ramp up to the New Kensington Bridge to continue on Freeport Road.
Motorists driving south on Freeport Road, toward Springdale, will not be impacted by the underpass closure.
The New Kensington bridge’s preservation projects began in March and have a price tag of about $24.59 million.
The bridge spans the Allegheny River, from East Deer to New Kensington.
Crews will put a new latex overlay on the bridge deck, repair structural steel and the concrete substructure, paint the superstructure, replace expansion dams, install new light poles and luminaries and do minor work on bridge approaches.
Drivers will see the lanes narrowed, and flaggers will guide traffic through the work zone.
The bridge, itself, will close for six weeks. Electronic messaging in the area indicates that the bridge will close Monday, July 24.
The bridge was built in 1927. It was named in 1984 after former state Rep. C.L. Schmitt. About 15,850 vehicles cross it daily.
The project is expected to be completed in fall 2024.
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.