A small roadway in southern Berks County has now been closed to all traffic due to safety concerns, adding to ongoing disruptions tied to a nearby state bridge project.
Township officials announced that the Old River Road bridge, located near 1130 Old River Road by The Beidler House in Birdsboro, has been closed effective immediately after engineers determined the structure is unsafe for vehicles. The closure comes after an accelerated deterioration of the bridge’s structural steel, which officials said has been worsened by heavy and non-local traffic.
The bridge is now barricaded and impassable to all vehicles. Local access will be permitted only up to the closure point, and motorists are being directed to follow the existing detour routes already in place for Route 724.
The new closure adds to an ongoing project by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which began earlier this month to replace the Route 724 bridge over Allegheny Creek in Robeson Township. That project has already closed a section of Route 724 between Route 568 and Annon Street, with traffic detoured along Route 422, Interstate 176, and surrounding roads.
Officials said the Old River Road closure is necessary to address structural damage and ensure public safety. The bridge is expected to remain closed pending further engineering analysis. While a full replacement is currently planned for 2030, it remains unclear whether the bridge could reopen before that time.
