November 04, 2016
The Route 274 (Big Spring Road) bridge, which spans Burns Creek, Franklin County, reopened to traffic today. This bridge was replaced as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) Rapid Bridge Replacement Project and allows PennDOT to remove it from the state's structurally deficient list.
With the bridge reopened to traffic, motorists 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 forecasted and after the bridge concrete has cured for at least 30 days. Flaggers will assist in guiding alternating bi-directional traffic when the PPC overlay is applied in mid-2017.
This bridge is referred to as JV-249 and is one of 558 bridges being replaced under the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. JV references the joint-venture partnership between Walsh/Granite, which is leading construction for the entire project. Replacement work for this bridge was performed by Walsh Construction II.