Credit: Bristol Township
Crews have begun repairs on the Randall Avenue Bridge and more work is scheduled for this upcoming weekend.
Advertisements
The township’s update from this week: “Work commenced on the bridge the weekend of July 19th. Demolition of the concrete began. Concrete demo went slower than expected due to steel wires running through and adjacent to the floorbeams of the bridge under the concrete encasement. These wires were unknown to us prior to the Contractor beginning to remove the concrete and required extra time to complete the demo work as they had to demo around these steel wires. The work is scheduled to resume this Friday, July 26-28.”
Originally slated to begin late last month, the bridge work was delayed due to complications related to the busy Amtrak Northeast Corridor rail line that runs below. The tracks are used throughout each day by Amtrak, SEPTA, and freight lines.
Township Manager Randee Mazur said last month that the first portion of the repairs is expected to be completed later this summer.
Advertisements
Following this initial phase, the township will lock in specifications for the remaining abutment repairs and begin soliciting bids for the next stages.
In the spring, Bristol Township hired Haines and Kibblehouse (H&K), of Skippack, Montgomery County, for the first stage of repairs at a cost of $1.08 million.
The first phase that is underway will tackle several bridge issues, including the removal of unstable concrete and the installation of protective shielding.
Advertisements
Finding a contractor for the project had been challenging due to the bridge’s location over active rail lines and the complexity of the necessary safety measures, official said.
Initially, the township received $975,000 from PennDOT for abutment repairs. However, after concrete debris began falling onto the rail lines below, PennDOT authorized the redirection of these funds to address the more immediate problems.
An additional $2 million in state grant money has since been allocated to complete abutment work for the 169-foot bridge.
Advertisements
While temporary repairs are taking place, a bridge replacement is expected down the road.
Officials have warned that the replacement project could cost millions of dollars.
Bristol Township officials have continued to seek grants to fund the design and construction of a new bridge.
Advertisements
The bridge was closed by the township on an emergency basis last February due to debris falling onto the tracks below.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
