Lancaster County based High Steel Structures is awarded a PennDOT contract to fabricate 365 tons of structural steel for the emergency replacement of the bridge carrying Route 22 eastbound traffic into Harrisburg at the Interstate 81 exit 67 interchange.
The overpass bridge was severely damaged on Thursday, May 9, when a tanker truck loaded with diesel fuel overturned and caught fire causing massive traffic delays in the Harrisburg metro.
Following inspections, the span of Route 22 Eastbound directly above the fire was determined to be in danger of collapse. Interstate 81 remained closed in the area of the interchange for several days while two spans of the bridge were removed and the debris hauled away.
Fabrication of the replacement girders for the bridge in Harrisburg has commenced, and steel delivery is scheduled for early August.
“High Steel’s sizable technical and production resources enable us to react quickly when emergency projects arise,” said company President Brian LaBorde. “We are pleased to support PennDOT and the project team as they work to get the new bridge in place.”
High Steel has supplied steel for several other emergency projects involving fire-damaged bridges. In 1998, the company was hired by PennDOT to produce replacement steel girders for the Interstate 95 bridge over Chester Creek, south of Philadelphia. Other projects include the Route 80 Bridge over Den Brook in Morris County, New Jersey, in 2001 and the 9 Mile Road bridge over Interstate 75 in Hazel Park, Michigan, in 2009. All three bridges were damaged as a result of fuel tanker accidents.
Founded in 1931 in Lancaster, High Steel Structures Inc., an affiliate of High Industries Inc., is one of the largest fabricators of structural steel in North America, with more than one million tons of steel fabricated over the past 20 years. High Steel’s 700+ co-workers fabricate a wide range of complex bridge components and heavy building girders, and the company offers bridge steel erection, transportation, and emergency bridge repair services. High Steel has been instrumental in the development of new, innovative processes and materials throughout its long history as an industry leader. The company operates four fabrication facilities in Lancaster and Williamsport. For more information on High Steel, call 717.390.4270 or visit www.highsteel.com.