PennDOT District 11 is advising motorists the bridge that carries Montour Church Road over Route 22/30 at the Steubenville Pike (Tonidale) Interchange west of the Route 60 interchange in North Fayette Township, Allegheny County, is currently closed to traffic today, Tuesday, July 1, 2008. In addition, Route 22/30 is restricted to a single lane in the inbound (eastbound) direction.
PennDOT is closing the bridge as a precaution after inspection crews identified a crack in a bridge beam. The crack is believed to be caused by over-height vehicles hitting the bridge. Repair work is expected to begin this evening. The bridge will remain closed and eastbound traffic on Route 22/30 will be restricted around-the-clock until repairs are completed. Westbound (outbound) traffic on Route 22/30 will also be restricted to a single lane while the repair work is underway.
The bridge is owned by PennDOT, but is located on a local road owned by North Fayette Township. About 7,600 vehicles use the bridge on an average day. PennDOT is currently designing a replacement structure for the Montour Church Road bridge over Route 22 with adequate under-clearance. The bridge replacement project should be under construction in 2010.
