The Bucks County-owned bridge that spans Martins Creek in Falls Township reopened after being closed since 2018.
Bucks County Commissioners Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Bob Harvie, and Gene DiGirolamo were all on hand Monday afternoon to cut the ribbon on the 78-foot-long concrete bridge that carries Mill Creek Road across the creek.
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The first two vehicles across the span were a classic car owned by a neighbor and a motorcycle. From there, the road closed signs were dragged out of the way and traffic began using the bridge.
The bridge was closed in August 2018 and its opening was delayed several times by rainy weather, a high water table, time-consuming utility work that caused localized power outages as high tension power lines had to be lifted above the construction site, and other circumstances that cropped up, Bucks County General Services Director Kevin Spencer said.
Spencer explained that the rebuilt bridge allows for a larger amount of creek water to flow under it and features a cleaned up area along the creek, which a neighbor already has reported has led to less ponding on their property.
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The bridge, which is often used by heavy trucks heading to industrial sites, has no maximum weight limit.
The project cost just over $2 million dollars and remained on budget. Spencer said PennDOT will retroactively reimburse the county for 80 percent of the cost.
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The previous bridge was built in 1961 and had deteriorated in recent years.
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