Drivers in Rome Township, Crawford County should brace for detours as a $1 million bridge replacement project kicks off later this month. According to a report from PennDOT, the aging Mageetown Road Bridge over Shirley Run is set to be dismantled and rebuilt, with work slated to start May 20, weather dependent.

The current bridge, which has carried local traffic since 1950, has been deemed in "poor condition" and the new concrete structure is intended to provide a much-needed upgrade, the traffic over the bridge averages around 175 vehicles daily and the construction is expected, barring unforeseen conditions, to last until November this year. In the interim, a detour using Route 89, and Bethel Church Road (Route 1013) will reroute drivers, potentially causing delays and impacting commutes for roughly four months.

PennDOT has awarded the contract to Chivers Construction Company, Inc. of Fairview, Pennsylvania, with the project's bill of $1,074,130 being footed entirely by federal dollars. The construction phase encompasses not only the bridge itself but also the adjoining thoroughfare that will see paving, alongside the installation of updated guiderail and pavement markings for enhanced safety.

Commuters and residents in the locality can expect the customary upheaval that such infrastructure projects typically bring, yet the envisaged end result is a reinforced bridge that caters to the community's contemporary requirements, the necessity of the project underlined by the irrefutable depreciation of the existing structure over its seven decades of service, a structure that has undoubtedly witnessed the countless stories of those who traversed it, their tales etched like invisible script into the weathered steel. The aforementioned detour is expected to be enforced and travelers are encouraged to plan their routes accordingly to avoid disruption.