“New and Improved” – Modern Steel Construction

Excerpt and image provided by Modern Steel Construction – New and Improved

The emergency replacement of a damaged northwest Pennsylvania bridge resulted in a safer and sleeker crossing that better fits the area’s needs.

A steel design provided the necessary quick fix to a damaged bridge over an interstate highway in northwest Pennsylvania, creating a more efficient crossing and improving adjacent roads. The State Route 318 bridge over I-376 near West Middlesex, Pa., carries approximately 3,000 vehicles daily and is ½ mi south of the I-376 and I-80 interchange in Mercer County. It has adjacent on- and off-ramps for I-376 and is the main interstate access point for a major trucking company’s distribution center. The crucial bridge and interchange closed when an over-height truck boom struck the span over eastbound I-376 on December 7, 2023 and inflicted substantial damage.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) opted to replace the entire bridge, and a cohesive emergency response delivered a new and improved bridge that opened to traffic in September 2024. The new steel bridge wasn’t just a replacement. It also brought safer clearances to avoid over-height collisions, material that’s reparable if one occurs, a widened road, and new on and off ramps.

SSSBA member High Steel Structures was the fabricator and detailer for the project.

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