Greensburg Road work slated for summer 2019 in Lower Burrell

Ron and Robin Farkas have no problems with the replacement of a well used bridge along Route 366 in Lower Burrell two years from now.

Despite traffic being reduced to a single, alternating lane, it needs to be done, they said.

“Is it going to be a bit of a pain? Probably,” said Ron Farkas, 65. “But what else can you do?”

The Farkases live at the corner of Millers Lane and Route 366, also known as Greensburg Road.

They attended a public meeting on Tuesday hosted by PennDOT to learn more about the project, which is scheduled for summer 2019.

The meeting was held at the Kinloch volunteer fire station, which is up the road from the bridge. Project plans were on display, and PennDOT and design representatives were also available to answer questions.

PennDOT is replacing the bridge because it is structurally deficient and is crumbling. It was built in 1939 and spans an unnamed tributary of Pucketa Creek.

Project manager James Sisul said PennDOT will take out the existing slab bridge, which is just over 14 feet long, and replace it with a 15-foot-long, precast box culvert.

Workers also will pave up to 200 feet of roadway on each end of the span and 50 feet of nearby Millers Lane.

The road, which carries about 13,000 vehicles a day, will be reduced to a single, alternating lane for 2 ¹⁄₂ to three months.

The lane that's closed will depend on which side of the bridge is being worked on, Sisul said.

“We're going to build it in halves,” he said.

There will be a short detour for vehicles wanting to access Millers Lane.

The detour, which will take vehicles on Pacific Avenue and Pacmil Street, is necessary because PennDOT has to insert a protective barrier for its workers, Sisul said.

“There's no way that vehicles could make this turn,” Sisul said. “We did allow some space in here for EMS or fire trucks if they do need to get through here.”

PennDOT chose to use an alternating lane, rather than to shut down the road and do both sides at once, because of the high traffic volume and the lack of a viable detour in the area, Sisul said.

“We felt like it was the right thing to do,” he said.

The cost of the project is still being determined, but Sisul estimated it will cost between $500,000 and $1 million. It is not part of the Rapid Bridge Replacement Project, a partnership between PennDOT and Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners to replace structurally deficient bridges.

John Wenskovitch, 59, who lives on Wills Avenue, came to the meeting to see how the project was going to impact traffic.

“I just wanted to make sure the road wasn't going to be closed to make sure you didn't have to make a big loop around,” he said.

Robin Farkas, 52, said she doesn't want to see the bridge get any worse.

“If you've look at it, it's crumbling underneath it,” she said. “We definitely think it needs (to be) done and aren't going to be upset (with) any inconvenience because it's going to be a big improvement.”

Madasyn Czebiniak is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4702, mczebiniak@tribweb.com, or on Twitter @maddyczebstrib.