Irwin closed the Colony Drive Bridge off Route 30 on Wednesday because of a foot-wide hole in the bridge deck, which has prompted further evaluation of the bridge to determine its safety.
Dan Schmitt, an engineer with Gibson-Thomas Engineering of Latrobe, could not offer council members on Wednesday a timetable as to when the bridge deck might be replaced and reopened. Irwin’s public works department placed barriers at either end of the bridge, borough officials said.
Borough council directed Gibson-Thomas to conduct further testing and an evaluation of the bridge.
The hole in the deck of the bridge over an unnamed tributary of Tinker’s Run, also has revealed other problems with the bridge.
“It’s a very sandy concrete. It’s just falling apart” and the rain could make the problem worse, Schmitt said.
The firm would seek funding to replace the bridge deck, but securing that money could take time, Schmitt said. When Gibson-Thomas seeks funding for such a project in the fall, it may be until the following fall to learn whether it approved, Schmitt said. They will reach out to local public officials to see if any discretionary money is available, Schmitt said.
The engineers will evaluate the entire structure, including the footers and bridge abutments that hold up the deck. If those need to be replaced, the project would take longer because the borough would have to secure a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection to work in the stream.
A detour around the closed bridge would require going through streets in North Huntingdon. Shari Martino, borough manager, said she planned to contact the township about a detour.
The detour also would follow part of Route 30. The borough should coordinate with PennDOT on the use of the state road and sign placement, said Andrew Stacy, a PennDOT spokesman.
Martino said she notified the Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety, the Irwin fire department and emergency management to make them aware of the bridge closure. She said she would notify the Norwin School District and the Waste Management, the borough’s trash hauler.