Mercer Street Bridge, Rt. 208, looking toward Clintonville.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to view the online plans display for a project to replace the bridge that carries Route 208 over a Scrubgrass Creek tributary in Clintonville Borough, Venango County.
The bridge is located on the Route 208 (Mercer Street) between the intersection with the Porter Road and the intersection with Walters Road.
The existing steel plate girder single-span bridge has 10-foot lanes and 1.5-foot shoulders. The project will replace it with a prestressed concrete beam single span bridge that will have 11-foot lanes and 5-foot shoulders, which will help accommodates cyclists using PA Bike Route V. Work will also include new roadway approaches and updated guiderail and pavement markings. Due to the widening of the structure, right of way will be required both upstream and downstream of the bridge.
Work is expected to occur during the 2024 construction season.
A vehicle detour will be required during construction and is expected to be in place for approximately four to six months. The proposed approximately 13-mile car and truck detour route will be posted using Route 308, Interstate 80, and Route 8. A separate approximately 6.8-mile bicycle detour will be posted using Porter Road, McKinley Road, McBride Road, and Georgetown Road (Route 3003).
The existing bridge was built in 1933. It is classified as poor condition and is posted with one truck at a time limit. Approximately 1,400 vehicles a day use the bridge, on average.
The plans display for the Mercer Street Bridge Replacement Project, which will be held online only, includes a handout, digital plans, and an online comment form. It will be open until August 30, 2022 and can be accessed by visiting the PennDOT District 1 website, www.penndot.pa.gov/District1
Those unable to access the information online may give feedback by contacting PennDOT Project Manager Jeanette Uhl at juhl@pa.gov or 814-678-7084.
The purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project and receive public input regarding any questions or concerns with the project. It is also an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the project’s potential effect upon Cultural Resources pursuant to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 36 CFR Part 800 regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
The project documents will be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation/interpretation services or have special needs or have special concerns that require individual attention, contact Jeanette Uhl, PennDOT Project Manager, at juhl@ pa.gov or 814-678-7084.
Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, PennDOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. If you feel that you have been denied the benefits of, or participation in a PennDOT program or activity, you may contact the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Equal Opportunity, DBE/Title VI Division at 717-787-5891 or 800-468-4201.