Route 52 (Lenape Rd) Reopen 102853
BIRMINGHAM — After what seems like years of constant detours, delays and closures — from construction on the Rt. 52 Roundabout, the 926 Bridge and the Lenape Bridge, traffic in the Birmingham/Pocopson area finally returned to normal this week with the delayed completion of the Lenape Bridge rehabilitation.
Work stopped on the project in March, due to the pandemic, but resumed in May, leading to the bridge reopening June 30.
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the opening this week, after the completion of major construction to rehabilitate the bridge over the Brandywine Creek Floodplain in Birmingham.
Route 52 (Lenape Road) between Pocopson Road and Creek Road had been closed and detoured since August 2019 for rehabilitation of the structure. Creek Road between Riverbend Lane and Country Club Road was later closed in November. Both roads are now open.
While major construction on the bridge has been completed, the contractor will be performing various minor construction activities, including traffic signal work and stone pointing operations over the next few weeks with no impact to traffic.
Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.
Under this rehabilitation project, PennDOT repaired, strengthened and restored the previously deteriorating seven-span, stone masonry arch bridge by removing the bituminous pavement and earth fill; removed and salvaged the parapet stones, capstones and pipe railing; rebuilt deteriorated portions of the spandrel and wing walls; constructed a full-width concrete slab with integral concrete barriers faced with stone from the bridge; reinstalled masonry capstones with repainted pipe railing; repointed the masonry as required; salvaged and reset the bridge plaque; and installed brown painted guide rail.
In addition, the contractor rebuilt the stone walls at the north end of the bridge at the Route 52 (Lenape Road) and Creek Road intersection and moved the walls a bit further away from the intersection to provide additional room for vehicular turning moves.
A permanent flashing yellow left turn arrow was also installed under this project on eastbound Route 926 (Street Road) for left turns onto northbound Pocopson Road.
Loftus Construction Inc., is the general contractor on the $3,439,000 project which is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.
