PennDOT hopes to have new Salina Bridge ready for use by winter
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Drivers could be crossing the Kiski River on the new Salina Bridge as soon as the winter.
PennDOT assistant construction engineer Mark Kmetz said crews are finishing an abutment on the Kiski Township side of the river before the rest of the bridge can take shape.
The span carries Bridge Street over the river and Norfolk Southern railway tracks between Bell and Kiski townships.
Built in 1906, the current bridge was last rehabilitated in 1978, but it can’t handle vehicles that weigh more than 10 tons, which includes fire trucks and most large delivery trucks.
Starting last year, crews from Fenelton-based Mekis Construction Corp. began building a temporary bridge parallel to the current span as they installed abutments for the new bridge about 100 feet downstream.
Once the second abutment is complete, Kmetz said, crews will begin to install beams throughout late April, May and June in addition to several weeks of girder placement.
But by the end of summer, crews will begin pouring a concrete deck, the engineer said.
“It’s such a long bridge that we’ll be placing it in pieces,” Kmetz said of the 650-foot span. “You’re not going to pour the whole thing at one time.”
The $33 million project is set to run until 2027, but after the completion of the new bridge, PennDOT press officer Laina Aquiline said, things will be “substantially complete” by the end of this year.
The new bridge will feature two 11-foot-wide lanes and 5-foot shoulders.
But crews still have demolition of the old bridge to contend with.
Kmetz said crews are discussing how exactly to demolish the historic structure in 2026, its 120th anniversary year.
Though partial implosion is a possibility, Kmetz said, crews could not blow up the Bell Township side of the span, as it stands above railroad tracks.
Several pieces of the bridge will be donated to the Bell Township Historical Society. In addition, the project calls for PennDOT to contribute $665,000 to the Historic Metal Truss Bridge Capital Rehabilitation Program to mitigate the loss of a historic property.
Plus, panels at the Roaring Run Trailhead will include information and photos of the bridge’s history and that of the towns it connects.
Kiski Township Supervisor Bob Ross, who lives near the site, said aside from some traffic adjustments, construction has been pretty smooth.
The old bridge, he said, was in “poor condition” and had required increasingly regular check-ups to ensure its safety for vehicles. Once operational, the new bridge also will enable quicker river crossings for fire trucks, he said.
“I think everybody’s going to be glad when it’s done,” Ross said.
After the construction and demolition are complete, crews will take down the temporary bridge and restore the site, including planting proper vegetation, Kmetz said.
The $33 million price tag includes additional items, such as addressing a deteriorating nearby retaining wall, drainage improvements and upgrades at intersections.
Kmetz said crews have stayed within the original budget.