The 1/112th Infantry Alpha Company Bridge in Manor Township is undergoing rehabilitation through October 2010. The bridge carries SR 66 over Garrett’s Run, SR 422 (Benjamin Franklin Highway), and SR 2025 (Garrett’s Run Road) in Armstrong County, just south of Kittanning, Pa.

Originally constructed in 1980, this nine-span multi-steel girder bridge is 1,336 ft. (407 m) long and carries an average daily traffic of 8,827 vehicles. Rehabilitation work includes deck repair, flushing, expansion dam repair, substructure repair, superstructure painting, concrete approach slab repair and other miscellaneous construction.

The $6.5 million Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) contract was awarded to Advanced Painting Systems Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pa. The project began in February of this year with Phase 1, which includes building the containment, stringing cables and placing floor pans for future painting.

Advanced will blast the existing lead paint and prime as they go in Phase 2, while subcontractor Gregory Construction & Engineering Company (Sarver, Pa.) simultaneously performs concrete repairs and retrofits. Gregory is retrofitting the parapet wall to eliminate deflection joints and make it solid.

Advanced will be using abrasive blasters to remove the lead paint. The paint debris will be separated, stored and sealed. The steel grit will be recycled.

“We’re following the strict environmental rules for painting set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency,” said Don Shannon, PennDOT inspector-in-charge.

Phase 3 will conclude the project with Shaka Inc. of Jeanette, Pa., applying an epoxy finish to the bridge deck. While the two-part epoxy coating is still wet, crews will be casting fine aggregate on the surface. The epoxy/stone combination will seal the bridge and provide excellent traction on the deck.

Other Pennsylvania subcontractors on the job include Interstate Enterprises Inc., based in Canonsburg, for snowplow fencing, Williams & Willman of Kittanning for line painting, and Harrisburg’s Protection Services, Inc. for traffic control.

Motorists should be aware of lane shifts as traffic in both the north and south bound lanes will be reduced from two lanes in each direction down to one lane in each direction throughout the project. Delays are anticipated and motorists should be prepared to stop. As the need applies, flag crews will direct traffic while work is being performed.

Today's top stories

Growing Interest in Construction Careers Among Younger People Means Jobs Filled, Deadlines Met

Larry Young Paving Tackles Grade-Separated Interchange in Texas

Caltrans, Crews Working to Repair Highway Landslides

FIRSTGREEN Industries Launches ROCKEAT Electric Skid Steer Loader

'Tiltrotator Effect' Increases as Energy Consumption Goes Down

VIDEO: Birmingham, Ala., Awarded $14.5M Fed Grant to Revitalize Its 'Black Main Street'

Pettibone Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Cary-Lift

Fay Preps Way for Pittsburgh International Airport Modernization Project