FOREST CO., Pa. — Vehicles are expected to begin using the new Hunter Station Bridge in Forest County for the first time on Wednesday, September 6, 2017, and motorists are urged to be alert to the change in traffic patterns in the construction zone.

Traffic is scheduled to be shifted from the old Hunter Station Bridge that carries Route 62 over the Allegheny River near Tionesta in Forest County on Wednesday and onto the new bridge that is being built just upstream from the old structure.

Traffic will continue to be limited to one lane and will be controlled by temporary signals.

“This is certainly a notable milestone in what is the largest construction project in PennDOT’s northwestern region this year,” said PennDOT District 1 Executive William Petit.  “We urge motorists to be aware of the change in traffic patterns and drive carefully through the work zone.”

Traffic has been using the southbound lane of Route 62 in the project and one lane of the old bridge. The new pattern will shift traffic to the newly constructed northbound lane of Route 62 and one lane on the new bridge.

The change in traffic patterns is expected to occur late afternoon or early evening on Wednesday.

Temporary traffic signals that were installed in July will continue to control traffic in the project area, and motorists are reminded that the signals can create delays.

The temporary signals were introduced as part of a plan to eliminate the need for the 44-mile-long detour that was initially planned for the project.

The need for the detour was avoided when the project contractor and PennDOT put in place an alternative plan to use half-width construction of the roadway approaches to the bridge. That allowed one lane to remain open to traffic and eliminated the need for the detour.

“Eliminating the need for that detour represented a significant savings in time and expense to the traveling public and to commerce delivery,” Petit said.

The project involves the construction of a new 1,124-foot-long, four-span continuous composite steel plate girder bridge about 100-feet upstream from the existing Hunter Station Bridge. Work includes new concrete and asphalt roadway approaches and updated drainage, guide rail, landscaping and pavement markings, along with other miscellaneous work.

The old bridge was a 1,051-foot-long steel truss structure that was built in 1934 and was classified as structurally deficient.

The bridge is used by about 1,100 vehicles a day, on average.

Work on the bridge replacement project started September 12, 2016, and the project is expected to be completed by March 28, 2018.

The contractor is the Mekis Construction Corporation of Fenelton, PA. The contract cost is $23,774,703.87, which is being paid entirely with federal funds.

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 https://www.projects.penndot.gov.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting https://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 825 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by fol

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