PROSPECT PARK — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation broke ground on a $35.8 million four-year project to replace two Route 420 bridges connecting Prospect Park and Tinicum Township over Darby Creek.
“We know PennDOT’s investment into improving travel and safety on this crossing is money well spent for the neighboring communities and more than 40,000 vehicles per day that use these bridges,” said Lou Belmonte, district executive for PennDOT Engineering District 6, during a ceremony Thursday at Stephenson Equipment Inc., adjacent to the worksite.
Stephenson will be tapped to provide equipment for the project, while Richard E. Pierson Construction Co. Inc. in Pilesgrove, N.J., has been slated to serve as the general contractor.
Gannett Flemming of Evesham Township, N.J., is the engineering consultant.
The existing southbound bridge is a 237-foot-long, three-span, pre-stressed concrete composite adjacent box beam bridge, according to the PennDOT website. The structure is currently listed in “poor condition” due to deterioration and section loss of bridge elements.
The northbound bridge, a 232-foot-long, three-span, pre-stressed concrete composite adjacent box beam bridge, is currently listed in “fair condition,” but is also deteriorating and in need of extensive repairs.
Belmonte was joined Thursday by local elected representatives, as well as Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll, Associated Pennsylvania Constructors Executive Vice President Bob Latham and PennDOT Design Project Manager Mirlene Saintval, who has been working on the planning side of the project for about a decade.
“This bridge replacement project holds great significance for our community,” said state Sen. Tim Kearney, D-26 of Swarthmore. “Not only will it enhance the structural integrity of the bridges, it will also alleviate congestion and improve travel efficiency for countless residents, commuters and businesses who rely on this vital connection. It’s also going to provide jobs, jobs that we need here in Delaware County. We’re opening doors to economic growth and to prosperity through this project, and creating a space where travelers can be comfortable knowing we have sound roadways and bridges.”
Latham said the project will provide those jobs in the form of construction, manufacturing, distribution, design, consulting and equipment, including $4 million specifically set aside to benefit women and minority owned firms.
Trails, too
The bridge replacement is also expected to have benefits for residents beyond alleviating traffic issues, Latham and others noted. The design includes a shared hiker/biker trail connection for the East Coast Greenway and a pedestrian trail crossing that will be constructed under the bridge that connects to the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge.
“This project serves as the perfect example as to what the PennDOT Connects process is meant to accomplish, by addressing the transportation needs of Pennsylvania’s aging infrastructure, while at the same time incorporating multi-modal transportation facilities wherever possible,” said Saintval.
She noted the lengthy design process required input and cooperation from multiple stakeholders, including the refuge and historic Morton Homestead, as well as dealing with potential contaminated soil, working out geotechnical parameters and the unusual step of receiving a bridge permit from the Coast Guard.
Carroll said the project was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and highlights positive local impacts of decisions made in places like Harrisburg and Washington D.C., as well as the importance of local, state and federal representatives working together to put tax dollars to good use.
The funding
“The reality is that folks who rely on this bridge over Darby Creek will have a state-of-the-art facility in a couple of years, and it’s the product of decisions that are made in Washington D.C. and Harrisburg, and sometimes folks need to be reminded, because that BIL was signed … almost two years ago,” the transportation secretary said. “And the decisions made in Harrisburg, you know, sometimes people overlook what goes on there. You’re a little bit removed from Harrisburg when you’re in Delco, but those decisions matter greatly.”
Carroll noted it is budget season this month in the state’s capital, where Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is seeking $100 million for PennDOT that would otherwise go to the Pennsylvania State Police.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law sent hundreds of millions of dollars into Pennsylvania for projects like this one, Carroll said, but requires a 20% match, represented by that $100 million. By shifting a total $500 million over the next five years from PSP, he said, the state will be able to generate $1.5 billion for road and bridge network.
“We have a laundry list of projects that need to be done and they need to be done sooner rather than later,” Carroll said. “That $100 million from the state police, combined with the federal money from BIL and the current program that PennDOT has, for context, this year our statewide program will be about $2.8 billion.”
State Rep. Dave Delloso, D-162 of Ridley Park, said Route 420 is a major artery for Delaware County and especially the people of his district, since it represents the fastest and easiest way to access Interstate 95.
“I can’t say enough good things about the infrastructure plan that’s allowing this to happen,” Delloso said. “There’s just not enough money in the state to do these projects. We need the federal aid to do these projects, and the partnership that’s been developed between the good secretary and the federal government to get projects like this done are great, and it only enhances the 162nd district.”
Current conditions
The bridge project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027, but may wrap up sooner. Belmonte said that travel impacts will change during construction.
The northbound bridge will remain two lanes throughout, but the left lane on the southbound bridge has already been closed since May 19 and that bridge will remain single-lane until the new structure is in place.
Access to southbound Route 420 from Lazaretto Road will be prohibited for all motorists and access to northbound and southbound Route 420 from Lafayette Avenue at 2nd Avenue will be prohibited for all motorists except emergency vehicles. Oversized vehicles heading southbound will also have to go around the construction site.
“We understand that work zones can be an inconvenience, but we ask your patience and understanding while we work to replace this critical crossing,” Belmonte said. “We know it will be worth the wait and we know it will serve the community well for many decades to come.”
