PennDOT announced Friday that a detour is no longer expected to be required for the $23.7 million Hunter Station Bridge replacement project in Forest County.
A detour was initially planned for the project, which is replacing the existing 1,051-foot-long bridge on Route 62 over the Allegheny River in Tionesta Township.
But an alternative construction plan and schedule proposed by the contractor and approved by PennDOT will eliminate the need for that detour, without adding any additional costs to the project.
The revised plans called for half-width construction of the roadway approaches to the bridge. That will allow one lane to remain open to traffic and eliminate the need for a detour.
While the revised construction plan will allow Route 62 to be kept open, it requires the use of temporary traffic signals, which could create short-term delays for motorists.
The project involves construction of a new 1,124-foot-long, four-span continuous composite steel plate girder bridge about 100 feet upstream from the existing Hunter Station Bridge.
Work includes new concrete and asphalt roadway approaches and updated drainage, guiderail, landscaping and pavement markings, and other miscellaneous work.
The savings to motorists would be in addition to the beneficial impact that eliminating the detour is expected to have on businesses in the project area, including Hunter Station Golf Course directly adjacent to the project and the Tionesta community.
Work on the bridge replacement project started Sept. 12, 2016, and the project is expected to be completed by March 28, 2018.
The contractor is Mekis Construction Corp. of Fenelton. The contract cost is $23,774,703.87, which is being paid entirely with federal funds.