DCNR Begins Dismantling Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Bridge Over Pennsylvania Turnpike

Lane Closures Scheduled, Traffic Stoppages Possible

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced today that work crews have begun dismantling a bridge that, until recently, carried the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail over the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Somerset.

DCNR closed the 40-year-old span after a Dec. 17 inspection found conditions that could endanger hikers and snowmobile riders using the bridge, as well as motorists passing beneath it. The span is located just about midway between the Somerset and Donegal turnpike exits, and is owned by the Bureau of State Parks.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has posted advisories alerting travelers to possible traffic stoppages and/or pacing from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. between the Donegal and Somerset exits while work is underway.

"Demolition progress will depend on the weather, but complete removal of the span is scheduled for the weekend of March 13-14," Bureau of State Parks Director John W. Norbeck said.

On Sunday, March 14, all lanes in both directions will be closed from midnight to 6 a.m. for overhead bridge removal and other necessary work. Also, some single-lane closures will occur Saturday night, March 13, to prepare for the Sunday closure.

Earlier this year, DCNR conducted an emergency project that removed deteriorated bridge components. Presently, gates permitting bridge access are closed and temporary barricades alert trail users to bridge conditions and its closure.

"Safety always has been our top priority in addressing this bridge," Norbeck said. "We understand just how important its replacement is to so many outdoor enthusiasts in the Laurel Highlands.  Our bureau is working to accommodate some of the trail-user groups and remains committed to working closely with them."

DCNR engineers have begun working on plans for a larger replacement span that could be put out for bid by early 2011, Norbeck added. No timeline has been established for new bridge construction.

The planned replacement bridge will reconnect various trail systems in the Laurel Highlands, while accommodating any possible future lane widening in the bridge area.

Once completed, the replacement span will reconnect the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, a 70-mile corridor running north and south through state parklands and Forbes State Forest. Part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a major regional recreational attraction, drawing 80,000 to 100,000 hikers and other visitors a year.  

For more information, call Laurel Hill State Park Complex Manager Mike Mumau at 814-445-7725.

Media contact: Terry Brady, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources