Preliminary work is expected to begin very soon.
Emmitsburg, Md (KM) The Route 140 bridge over Flat Run in Emmitsburg is scheduled to be replaced. The span, which takes the road over the waterway, is 84 years old and has out lived its useful life, says the State Highway Administration.
Spokesman Dave Buck says some preliminary work will begin this week. “We’re doing some utility work over the next month or so. There will be utility crews out there,” he says. “And then we’re going to build a pedestrian bridge because once we shift the motorists over on to that new section, as start the initial demolition of the one-half of the bridge, it’s pretty tight there. So this winter we’re going to build a pedestrian bridge as well before we shift any of that traffic.”
The replacement work on the bridge is expected to begin next spring and be completed by the summer of 2018. “It’s one lane in each direction but we have extra wide shoulders there and that’s good because that enables us, when we’re doing the bridge, we’ll be able to shift people over as we’ll still have one lane running in each direction. Build half the bridge, shift people over; take down the other half, build the new, then have it completed,” he said.
Buck notes that this work will be taking place inside of the town of Emmitsburg, and crews need to be cognizant of the sound they make and the closeness to people’s houses. “For so many of these jobs, the more rural we get, a lot of times we either have to close the road,. or have to take away a lane. In this instance, because it’s extra wide with the shoulders, we don’t have to do either of those. So that’s a good thing,” he says.
Motorists are also urged to be extra cautious when traveling through this construction area. “It’s going to be a job where there’s a tremendous amount of activity very close to the edge of the roadway,” says Buck. “So, again, we want folks to come through there. It’s a low speed limit, anyway. But we certainly want folks to keep those speeds down and make sure everyone gets home safe at night.”
The project is estimated to cost $4.3-million.
More than 5,000 motorists use that bridge every day.
The contractor for this project is Milani Construction of Washington DC.