PennDOT to reveal Layton Bridge replacement project at open house
New span over Youghiogheny River expected to be completed by 2028
There might finally be a light at the end of the tunnel for the long-awaited project to permanently replace the 126-year-old Layton Bridge near Perryopolis.
After years of historical reviews and studies examining the local bat population, the state Department of Transportation later this month will release details about the new bridge being built to help local traffic cross the Youghiogheny River in Perry Township.
PennDOT officials announced Wednesday they would hold an open house from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Perry Township Fire Department in Perryopolis to reveal information about the bridge that will be built to replace the single-lane span that has needed ongoing maintenance in recent years.
While no details of the exact location, design or cost of the new bridge have been released yet, PennDOT previously indicated it would be built nearly parallel and just a couple hundred feet to the southeast of the Layton Bridge. The project is expected to be put out to bid later this year with construction hopefully wrapping up in 2028.
In addition to building the two-lane bridge, the project will relocate Layton Road to the new span and reroute the entry away from the Layton Tunnel. The current bridge will remain open while the new bridge is under construction, which will alleviate lengthy detours that have been in place while temporary repairs have been made on the Layton Bridge in recent years to extend its life until a new span can open.
“I’m excited, and I expect the people of Layton, Perryopolis and the surrounding areas will be equally excited to watch the new bridge being built as they continue to use the old bridge during construction,” said Jeremy Hughes, who is assistant district executive for design for PennDOT District 12.
The upcoming open house will allow the public to see the plans in person, ask questions to the project’s team members and offer feedback. There will also be information on the project’s final design plans, traffic control during construction and the anticipated design and construction schedule. Information will be posted on PennDOT District 12’s construction website to allow people who couldn’t attend the open house to review the project online.
Hughes said he was “extremely pleased” to be able get the project out to bid in the next couple of months after years of mandatory historical and environmental studies slowed its progress.
“This project site has numerous important resources that are regulated or protected in one way or another by various state and federal laws,” Hughes said. “Over the past several years, we have done the necessary planning and taken the appropriate actions to avoid or mitigate impacts to these resources.”
The Layton Bridge was built in 1899 and originally used as a railroad crossing, but it has been deteriorating over the years. Regular inspections and repairs have caused temporary closures with lengthy detours over the past five years.
The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning PennDOT had to perform various studies to determine if it was possible to rehabilitate the span. They also investigated whether it was feasible to “market” the bridge in order to be sold to a private buyer or nonprofit and then relocated, although that does not appear to be an option and it will likely be demolished and dismantled.
PennDOT also had to perform studies on the nearby bat population and submit them to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state Game Commission for review in order to determine that the animals would not be adversely affected by the location of the new bridge.
For more information on the project’s plans or open house, go to PennDOT’s website at www.pa.gov/agencies/penndot and type “Layton Bridge Improvement and Replacement” in the search bar on the top right corner of the page.