RICHLAND TWP., Pa. — A project to replace the 96-year old bridge that carries Route 38 over Richey Run in Richland Township, Venango County will start next week.

The Route 38 bridge is located between Whitehill Road (Route 2003) and Airport Road (Route 2001), and about 1.4 miles north of the intersection with Route 208.

The existing bridge will be replaced with a 12-foot-long reinforced concrete box culvert. Work will also include new roadway approaches, guide rail​, drainage, paved shoulders, signs, and pavement markings.

Work is scheduled to start August 13, 2018, weather permitting. It is expected to be completed by September 7, 2018.

The bridge is a 14-foot-long concrete slab structure, which was built in 1922 and is classified as poor condition. On average, about 1,100 vehicles a day use the bridge.

A detour will be posted using Route 38, Route 208, Route 338 and Route 322.

The contractor is MEKIS Construction Corporation of Fenelton, PA. The contract cost is $389,450.86, which is to be paid entirely with state funds.

This project was made possible by Act 89, Pennsylvania’s transportation funding plan.

PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 860 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie.