Murrysville mulls options to fix weight-reduced bridge on Old William Penn Highway

Murrysville council appears to be leaning toward closing part of Old William Penn Highway this summer in order to repair a small bridge that has been subject to two weight restrictions in recent years.

The bridge carrying Old William Penn over Turtle Creek, just west of Export, had its weight rating reduced to 16 tons in 2022, then just a few months ago, reduced again to 6 tons.The reductions came after inspections by Pittsburgh-based SAI Engineering, which is contracted through PennDOT to conduct bridge inspections across the state. The reduction primarily affects school buses, large truck traffic and fire trucks.

Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico said council could opt for single-lane closures, which would add to the project’s cost and duration, or a full road closure for a little more than two months.

Nestico recommended the full closure.

“I’d say pull the Band-Aid off and get it addressed,” he said. “It’s an issue that certainly affects the community with the school year coming back around in the fall. There won’t be a full restoration (of the bridge), so we won’t be back to the original weight limit, but we’ll be back to the 16 ton limit we were at a few months ago.”

Nestico said municipal staff proposed a roughly two-mile detour around the closure using Cline Hollow and Hills Church roads.

“I think either way it’s going to be an inconvenience, so I say we close it and get it done before bad weather hits,” Councilwoman Jamie Lingg said.

Councilman Carl Stepanovich said he thought single-lane closures would be the better option, and noted that another major roadway, School Road near its intersection with Sardis Road, will be closing in early June for another bridge replacement project.

“Both of these situations are due to bridges that have safety issues right now,” Nestico said. “I think our best option is the one that gets it fixed as soon as possible.”

Earlier this spring, Murrysville engineering technician Emily Mallisee said the proposed repairs are a temporary fix, and will stabilize the bridge until it can be replaced. The municipality has applied for a local share grant from the state’s Department of Community & Economic Development to help fund the bridge work.