A bridge near Lemont has reopened a month ahead of schedule following a rehabilitation project.
The Elmwood Street bridge spanning U.S. Route 322 in College Township reopened at about noon on Thursday and the associated detour was lifted, according to PennDOT. The bridge had been closed since June 9 and reopening was originally expected in mid-September.
Some work remains to be completed on the underside of the bridge and will result in what PennDOT called “minimal traffic impacts” on Route 322.
Single-lane closures on the bridge are also planned for Sept. 2 and 3 for crews to apply high-friction surface treatments. The work is weather dependent, as the surface treatments cannot be completed in the rain, according to PennDOT.
The rehabilitation project aimed improve the bridge’s ride quality, extend its service life and raise its overall condition rating from fair to good. Work included concrete beam and deck repairs, installation of reinforcement bars and new strip seals, an epoxy overlay, approach paving and pavement marking.
H&P Construction Inc. of Kulpmont is the contractor on the $1.4 million project, which is part of a contract that included two other bridge rehabilitations in Centre County. Repairs to a Route 26 bridge spanning U.S. 322 finished in June, and work on the Route 504 bridge spanning Wallace Run in Boggs Township was completed in 2024.
