sbeveridge@observer-reporter.com
NORTH CHARLEROI - The historic section of the Charleroi-Monessen Bridge, which closed two months because of deterioration, will be demolished and replaced at a rapid pace.
The state Department of Transportation will invest $40 million in the work that involves replacing a 1,000-foot stretch of the bridge over the Monongahela River, the agency announced Thursday.
"We're here today with the most responsible decision," PennDOT District Executive Joseph Szczur said at an impromptu meeting on the bridge at Lock Four Fire Company's bingo hall.
PennDOT abruptly closed the bridge Feb. 19 when an inspection revealed a number of rusted, broken or missing pin joints holding up the span on the Monessen side of the river.
Engineers since have been considering a number of options, including one to perform a quick-fix and open the span with a low weight limit.
That option would permanently reroute a local bus line between Pittsburgh and California, whose riders have been experiencing longer trips since the bridge closed.
"We know how much disruption this bridge being closed has caused these communities," said state Sen. J. Barry Stout, who attended Thursday's meeting.
"We have to have a safe bridge for commerce," said Stout, D-Eighty Four.
Members of the Charleroi Area Historical Society have been lobbying PennDOT to preserve the bridge because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The 103-year-old span earned the listing because of its engineering style that used pins rather than rivets to hold it together. The society also believes the bridge is historic because a Charleroi resident, former Pennsylvania Gov. John K. Tener, played a major role in getting the bridge built.
"Well, they are going to have a fight on their hands," society member Nikki Sheppick said upon learning the bridge will be replaced.
PennDOT is required under state and federal preservation laws to consult with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission before the bridge is razed. The consultation could end in a compromise with PennDOT completing an extensive historic file on the span for the state archives.
Szczur said he does not "anticipate issues will arise" with the commission.
"I'm hoping for cooperation," he said.
All but a few of the 15 people who attended the meeting applauded when they heard the announcement of a new bridge.
Construction is expected to begin this fall after a contractor is hired to design and build the new span. A stone pier in the middle of the river will need to be replaced because it was built on a wooden foundation.
The "design and build" approach to construction will save PennDOT money by eliminating its process of engineering and designing new projects, Szczur said. It will allow for the bridge to be rebuilt by the end of 2011.
As tribute to Tener, a way to honor his contributions will be included on the new bridge.
The three original overhead trusses likely will be dismantled rather than imploded to keep barge traffic moving on the river, Stout said.
"This will be unprecedented," Szczur said. "We're going to pull off something exceptional."