DRIFTWOOD BRIDGE WORK RESUMES

Work has resumed on the new bridge on Route 555 in Driftwood. Clearwater Construction will begin water line relocation at the north end of the site.

PennDOT spokesperson Marla Fannin pointed out that no structural or related work will take place at the area where contaminants have been unearthed.

Construction was halted in March after employees discovered an unidentified noxious chemical that sent them to an area hospital as a precaution.

Fannin said a work plan is being assembled as the department determines the next step in the $3.4 million project. A public meeting will be held soon to go over the details of the project, which is expected to be completed by August 2009.

In the meantime, motorists can continue using the old bridge over the Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek.

The new bridge, replacing a substandard steel structure that is almost 70 years old, will allow more commercial and recreational traffic in and out of the Cameron County from its southwestern side.

It will be a 278-foot, threespan concrete bridge that will accommodate two-way traffic and heavier vehicles. It will also eliminate a 90- degree turn on the Driftwood side of the river.

Last fall, structural defi- ciencies forced PennDOT to impose a 13-ton weight limit on the old bridge. Combination loads such as tractor trailers, may be as heavy as 23 tons.