Weekend crash could delay reopening of Tarentum Bridge

A weekend crash in the work zone on the Tarentum Bridge could delay the span’s reopening, a PennDOT spokeswoman said Monday.

A couple of pieces of equipment were damaged severely when a car drove across the closed lanes from New Kensington toward Tarentum, crashed and caught fire shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday, spokeswoman Yasmeen Manyisha said.

The bridge was closed to all traffic June 9. The lanes from Tarentum to New Kensington reopened as scheduled June 13.

The lanes from New Kensington to Tarentum were scheduled to reopen June 27. Manyisha said it’s too soon to tell if the crash will cause a delay and, if so, how long the delay could be.

“The contractor has been working diligently on securing new equipment,” Manyisha said. “Depending on how soon the equipment can be obtained, there is a possibility of a delay in reopening the bridge.”

PennDOT had no update Tuesday on the crash’s impact on the reopening of the bridge.

Because crews could not work as planned Monday, they were working in other areas, including under the bridge, she said.

Manyisha said crews work on weekends and had worked from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday — finishing up about three hours before the crash. They could not work Sunday because of the damaged equipment.

“We are really lucky no one was hurt or killed,” she said.

No further information about the crash, including the driver’s identity or whether the driver will face charges, has been released. Tarentum police and borough officials have not responded to requests for information.

No related cases could be located in online court filings for Brackenridge District Judge Carolyn Bengel, whose office covers Tarentum.