New Kensington Bridge reopens to trucks, pedestrians as work nears end
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Trucks and pedestrians are again able to cross the New Kensington Bridge.
A detour that was in place for trucks was removed Friday, and the sidewalk on the bridge spanning the Allegheny River between East Deer and New Kensington is open, PennDOT spokesman Steve Cowan said.
But that doesn’t mean traffic is flowing freely across the span. Drivers will encounter intermittent restrictions through late December, he said.
Remaining work includes touching up the paint; removing containment shield and cables; extending a concrete barrier at the New Kensington end of the bridge; installing new handrails on top of the piers; installing guide rails and attenuators; and installing radar traffic lights on Freeport Road, an electric box and epoxy pavement markings.
“The contractor intends on having the majority of the work finished by Christmas,” Cowan said. “However, the epoxy pavement markings need to be installed when it is 50 degrees and rising. So that work will likely be completed in the spring along with the radar and electric box installation.”
Work on the $29.4 million bridge preservation project started in March 2023. Built in 1927, the bridge was most recently rehabilitated with a new deck in 1989.
This latest preservation project is expected to extend its life by 30 to 50 years.
Work included a full painting of the bridge, making it a darker blue . The bridge deck received a new latex overlay, the structural steel and concrete substructure were repaired, expansion dams were replaced, and new light poles and luminaries were installed.
The work required a roughly six-week closure of the bridge last year, a year ahead of the original plan, with the detour using the Tarentum Bridge. There also were closures of northbound Freeport Road where the road passes under the bridge in East Deer and the 10th Street underpass on the opposite side in New Kensington.
A shuttle was provided for pedestrians while the sidewalk was closed this year.