The bridge over Catawissa Creek for PA 339 through the Village of Zions Grove is one of the 58 bridges to be replaced as part of Pennsylvania’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Program.Through a public-private partnership (P3) with Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners (PWKP), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will have 58 bridges replaced in 2015 as part of the Rapid Bridge Replacement Program.
PWKP is scheduled to replace a total of 558 bridges throughout Pennsylvania over a 3-year period. They will design, construct and then maintain the bridge structures for 25 years, but the state will own the structures and perform routine maintenance.
The company also is responsible for financing the work, with PennDOT making “performance-based payments on the contractor’s adherence to the contract terms.” PennDOT also will perform routine maintenance including debris removal and snow plowing.
“Part of the responsibility of a government that works is keeping people moving safely, but also efficiently,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said at a press event in Cressona. “This project will deliver high-quality bridges with as little disruption to the public as possible, now and for decades in the future. PennDOT is always looking at new ways to improve how we do business, and doing as much work as we can before impacting the traveling public will continue to be a focus.”
For this year, bridges will be replaced in the northeast, north central and southwestern areas of the state.
PWKP will be working with 11 Pennsylvania-based subcontractors on the project: A.D. Marble & Company of Conshohocken, Montgomery County; M.A. Beech Corporation of Carnegie, Allegheny County; Carmen Paliotta Contracting of South Park Township, Allegheny County; Clearwater Construction Inc. of Mercer, Mercer County; Francis J. Palo Inc. of Clarion, Clarion County; Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. of State College, Centre County; J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Chester County; J.F. Shea Construction Inc. of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County; Larson Design Group of Williamsport, Lycoming County; Swank Construction Co. of New Kensington, Westmoreland County; and TRC Engineers, Inc. of Export; Westmoreland County.
More details about the Rapid Bridge Replacement Program and project status updates are available at http://www.parapidbridges.com/.
