PennDOT: 3P completed 390 bridges

PennDOT  says by the end of the month eight more bridges will be open.©2018Fotosearch

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Rapid Bridge Replacement project, a public-private partnership (3P), has led to the completion of 390 bridges with 50 more under construction, reports the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

By the end of the month, eight additional bridges will open for traffic and 20 will begin construction, the organization said in a newsletter posting from Transportation Today.

“The $899 million project was launched in 2013 as a way to address the state’s structurally deficient bridges while taking into account limited funding and resources. By using a 3P, PennDOT can replace 558 total bridges quickly,” the story stated.

Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners is financing, designing, constructing and maintaining the bridges. Within the consortium, Plenary Group USA Ltd. and Walsh Investors provide financing and long-term management, Walsh Construction Co. and Granite Construction Co. are in charge of construction, HDR is the lead design firm, and Walsh Infrastructure Management will provide maintenance for 25 years.

PennDOT will be responsible for routine maintenance.

“We are making significant investments in bridges across the state to enhance safety and commerce,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said. “This project complements our robust program by further reducing our number of structurally deficient bridges.”

From 2015-2017, the state invested in the repair or replacement of more than 1,600 structurally deficient state-owned bridges.

In 2008, Pennsylvania had more than 6,000 bridges considered in poor condition. Today, it has 3,098.

Dorothy Cox

Dorothy Cox is former assistant editor – now retired – of The Trucker, and a 20-plus-year trucking journalism veteran. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a master’s degree in divinity. Cox has been in journalism since 1972. She has won awards for her writing in both mainstream and trucking journalism.