The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced today work to replace the PA 562 Bridge over Manatawny Creek in Amity Township, Berks County will now last into December.
Work was originally expected to be complete last fall and was delayed until this spring due to an issue with the footing for one of the two bridge abutments.
Then this past spring the footing for the bridge pier needed to be redesigned due to solid ground under the creek being deeper than expected, and it was estimated this would delay the project completion into early September. Unfortunately, the new pier design has taken longer than anticipated and the bridge is now projected to open in December.
Actual underground conditions occasionally differ from what test drilling shows during the design of a bridge, as is the case with this project.
Work began in May 2018 to replace the 2-span steel stringer bridge with a 2-span concrete bulb-tee beam bridge. During construction PA 562 is closed and detoured between Old Airport Road and PA 662. Local access is being maintained for property owners in the area.
The posted passenger vehicle detour utilizes Old Airport Road and PA 662. A separate posted truck detour routes PA 562 east truck traffic on PA 662 south, Church Lane south, US 422 east, River Bridge Road north, US 422 west, PA 662 north and Old Airport Road north. The PA 562 west truck detour routes trucks on Old Airport Road south, PA 662 south, Church Lane south, US 422 east, River Bridge Road north, US 422 west, and PA 662 north.
New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc. New Enterprise, Pa., is the general contractor on the $2,467,134 project.
The PA 562 Bridge was constructed in 1938 and reconstructed in 1972. It is 146 feet long and 36 feet wide. The new bridge will be 146 feet long and 37 feet wide. This section of PA 562 has an average daily traffic volume of 5,845 vehicles.
