Bristol Township Council gave the go-ahead on a $2.75 million contractor bid so phase two work could start on the Randall Avenue Bridge which has been closed for a little more than 21 months after debris came falling on to the railway tracks in February of 2022.
Members approve the bid from Loftus Construction for the phase two work which will seek to fix structural issues existing on the span and allowing for the distinct possibility the bridge could reopen sometime in 2025.
First repairing the eroded concrete abutments, replacing corroded bearings, and installing new bridge joints needs to be completed, said Township Engineer Kurt Schroeder outlining the steps for the phase two work.
“The abutments have eroded over the years and a fiber wrap will be employed to restore that,” Schroeder explained.
“The bearings that hold up the beams are very corroded. So they’re going to put up temporary shoring.”
Other tasks to be completed as part of the project include replacing the joints on the top side of the bridge with their related barriers.
The potential to reopen the bridge once work is completed, township officials said would likely happen with vehicle weight restrictions implemented.
“Our engineers are very optimistic about the ability to certainly reopen it at the existing 3 1/2 ton weight restriction,” he said. “But we are going to seek to try to see if that can be increased.”
PennDOT and Utility Commission officials will have to inspect the bridge before it reopens.
We’ve already discussed it with the police department, our police personnel will be sure to keep a watchful eye on the bridge watching this bridge, township manager Randee Mazur said once it officially reopens.
The $2.75 million price tag goes beyond the amount of the available grant funding, Bristol had been awarded plus funds of its own.
A grant for $2 million plus a second one for $975,000 (initially received from a multimodal grant, Mazur said will be used to costs We spent a little bit over a million with Hanes and Kibblehouse for the phase one work . So we’re going to have to supplement from the general fund or from the capital fund, about $300,000 to cover the remaining project balance, she said.
Randal Ave Bridge Closed Credit: Lower Bucks Source
Township officials said this part of the project will require less coordination with Amtrak, as much of the work will be done from the top side of the bridge. The first phase work took months due to safety planning involving Amtrak and SEPTA. Mazur noted communications with Amtrak have become more relaxed which has helped to create improved relations between the two organizations while working together on the project.
Township officials have said throughout the process repairing the bridge is more than likely a temporary fix. Once the work is completed, officials will consider to secure at replacing the entire span which is expected to cost at least $10 million.
No date has been set as of publication time for when the second phase work will begin.