Bid to be awarded for new Brownshill Road Bridge in O'Hara

O’Hara council tonight is expected to approve a near $1 million bid for the replacement of the Brownshill Road Bridge.

Engineer Chuck Steinert recommended approval of a bid by Clearwater Construction of Mercer for $961,000.

The span that sits off Saxonburg Boulevard is a structurally-deficient nearly 34-foot steel and concrete bridge in need of constant repairs. Steinert said it costs the township up to $12,000 a year for maintenance.

It remains open until crews begin work.

Township officials hoped for construction to begin this year, but Manager Julie Jakubec said work likely will start next spring.

The new bridge will be built with pre-stressed concrete beams to increase the hydraulic opening for East Little Pine Creek. It will have increased load capacity and be safer, Steinert said.

The bridge also will be built wide enough for two vehicles, as opposed to the current one-lane bridge. It will have two 11-foot lanes and five-foot shoulders for pedestrians.

Council meets at 7 p.m. in the municipal office, 325 Fox Chapel Road.

Tawnya Panizzi is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tawnya at 412-782-2121, ext. 2, tpanizzi@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tawnyatrib.