After more than a dozen years of planning, designing and fundraising, construction of a new bridge that connects North Huntingdon to North Irwin is finally set to begin.
Westmoreland County commissioners last week awarded a nearly $5.7 million contract to Allison Park Contractors to install a 118-foot bridge above a ravine and railroad tracks and links tiny North Irwin to Route 993. Some referred to it as the Fourth Street Bridge.
A wooden-decked bridge originally built in 1911 had long been deteriorating. Plans to replace the span were initiated in 2014, and the bridge was eventually removed in 2023, leaving motorists with a less-than-direct route between the neighboring communities.
Westmoreland County Public Works Director Dante DeCario said construction of the bridge is slated to begin toward the end of this year, with most of the work taking place throughout next year and into 2028.
“This has been planned for a long time, and not having that bridge has been a major concern for emergency vehicles,” DeCario said.
The bridge will be constructed with steel beams and a concrete deck to accommodate two lanes of traffic.
About $3.7 million in federal funds and another $2 million from county coffers will pay for the project. The county’s portion of the project costs will be paid from funds generated through state impact fees assessed on natural gas produced from deep wells throughout Pennsylvania.
Westmoreland County Public Works oversees maintenance of 52 miles of roads and 46 bridges.
Other bridge projects
Three other bridges are targeted for rehabilitation work in the coming year.
The county commissioners also awarded a $3.1 million contract to Swank Construction Co. of New Kensington as part of the county’s local bridge preservation program.
DeCario said the money will be used to re-deck and make other repairs to the 202-foot Crags Mill Bridge, the 239-foot Steel Bridge and the 191-foot Sandersons Bridge Creek in Derry Township.