May 27, 2026 By Mike Jones 3 min read

The reopening of the historic cast-iron bridge over Dunlap Creek in Brownsville is getting pushed back once again as contractors continue working off-site to restore the 187-year-old span.

State Department of Transportation officials announced Tuesday that the completion date has been moved back to September after saying earlier this year they hoped the work would be finished by August.

“The contractor is currently awaiting completion of off-site repairs and painting of the cast-iron members,” PennDOT spokeswoman Melissa Maczko said in a written statement.

A section of Market Street in Brownsville was closed in November 2024 when crews started dismantling the cast-iron bridge in order to take the parts and pieces to another location to refurbish and reassemble them. Construction was expected to be completed last December, but the intricacy of the project, which included blasting and repainting the cast iron, coupled with the delicate nature of the metal, caused the completion date to be pushed back.

“Project delays were associated with the age, and delicacy of the cast iron,” Maczko said.

She said the newly built pedestrian bridge that spans Dunlap Creek next to where the cast iron bridge will return is complete, although it’s still not available for the public to use due to its proximity to the construction site. Work is also continuing on the sidewalks and ADA ramps that lead to the spans.

A crane was stationed Tuesday on the southwestern side of Dunlap Creek where the bridge once stood with fencing cordoning off the construction area, but no other work was being performed as crews appear to be waiting for the pieces to be returned to the site for reassembly. Allison Park Contractors is the lead construction company working on the $9 million project.

PennDOT’s official detour directs traffic to use the nearby Brownsville Bridge that takes vehicles to West Brownsville and then to Route 88 before traveling back across the Lane-Bane Bridge on Route 40. But the Charles Street bridge just to the south of the cast-iron bridge has still allowed local vehicle traffic and pedestrians to cross Dunlap Creek with minimal disruptions.

The Dunlap Creek Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, so it must be restored to how it originally looked when it was constructed in 1839. The span is the first cast-iron arch bridge in the United States, and was an integral part in the early days of the National Road when it was built.