Harrisburg, Pa – The bridge carrying Smokestown Road (State Route 1034) over Swamp Creek in East Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, has reopened to traffic. The bridge was replaced as part of the of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project and allows PennDOT to remove it from the state’s structurally deficient bridge list.
The bridge was closed on October 30th for the replacement project. The original closure was scheduled to last 75-days, but the project team was able to expedite construction and complete the project 14-days ahead of schedule. Replacement work for this bridge was performed by Clearwater Construction of Mercer, PA.
The new crossing is longer and wider than the one it replaced and is designed with a 100-year lifespan.
With the bridge reopened, drivers may notice a slight bump as they drive across the bridge until a polyester polymer concrete (PPC) overlay is applied to the deck. This is often the final step in completing box beam bridge projects. The PPC overlay is designed to protect the deck from the wear and tear brought about by Pennsylvania’s harsh winters and reduce the long-term maintenance costs.
The polyester material can only be applied when temperatures are consistently above 40 degrees, dry weather is forecast and after the bridge concrete has cured for at least 30-days. An alternating traffic pattern will be controlled by flaggers when the PPC overlay is applied in spring 2018.
To find out when the overlay will be applied to this structure, visit www.parapidbridges.com/polyesterpolymerconcreteoverlay.html. In the event of unfavorable weather, this schedule may change. Any such changes will be posted on the website.
