Milnor Road bridge work begins, detour set

A fence was damaged in this accident on Hollowell Church Road in Antrim Township Sunday afternoon. A state police trooper analyzes the accident scene. No press release has been issued on the accident.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation closed Milnor Road Bridge over Interstate 81 in Antrim Township on Monday, July 23. The bridge will be closed for about 2 1/2 months for repairs. A detour will direct motorists around the bridge closure by way of Williamsport Pike, Mason- Dixon Road and U.S. 11. A little more than 550 vehicles cross over this bridge on a daily basis.

This work on the Milnor Road Bridge is part of an overall construction contract that began in April that includes repairs to 11 bridges over Interstate 81 - two in southern Franklin County and nine in western and central Cumberland County. Also included in the contract is a pair of bridges on I-81 over Walnut Bottom Road in South Middleton Township and Carlisle Borough, Cumberland County. The length of time to conduct the repairs varies from bridge to bridge - from about a month for the bridge that carries West Ridge Street over I-81 in the Borough of Carlisle to about four months for the two I-81 bridges over Walnut Bottom Road.

PennDOT has contracted with J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen to conduct this repair work at a cost of $7,476,989. Work started on April 24 on the first bridge in this contract - Army Heritage Drive over I-81 in Middlesex Township, Cumberland County. The overall project should be completed by mid-September in 2008.

Altogether, the 13 bridges scheduled for repair in this construction, including another in the State Line area, the Mason Dixon Road (Route 163) Bridge in Antrim Township. When the project starts the bridge will be closed and a detour used to maintain traffic. The work will take about two months.

In another traffic advisory, beginning Monday, July 23, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., there will be various traffic lane closures on Route 30 in the vicinity of I-81. It is anticipated that the inspection work will continue on Tuesday as well, limited traffic again between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Route 30. When this work is completed, the engineers will move to Wayne Avenue. It will probably take two days to inspect the bridges on I-81 over Wayne Avenue, and motorists should expect to encounter traffic lane restrictions on Wayne Avenue at this location between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.