Apr. 19, 2024
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Craig Williams (R-Delaware) is pleased to announce the official reopening of the Smithbridge Road bridge today, April 19. The reopening ceremony this morning marked the completion of the rebuilding of the nearly 100-year-old bridge vital to the Bethel, Concord and Garnet Valley communities.
The Smithbridge Road bridge is an essential route connecting local residents to Route 202 and major educational institutions like Garnet Valley High School and Middle School. It was closed in July of 2023 for urgent repairs after inspections revealed critical deterioration. Prior to the closing of the bridge, it was utilized by nearly 8,000 motorists daily. Williams worked closely with PennDOT to expedite land-use permits, township improvements and accelerated bidding for the contractors. Even with the expedited schedule, the bridge still opened one day earlier than projected.
Williams expressed his gratitude for the diligence of the construction team in staying on schedule and to his community for their patience.
“Most watching our social media updates or reading our weekly email updates do not know how much coordination was happening in the background or how hard our contractors worked through difficult weather this winter,” said Williams “I hope everyone finds a moment to say thank you to RoadCon Inc., and their subcontractors. I am also thankful PennDOT was willing to meet with me weekly for updates and openly receive my challenges of them, especially when things were difficult early on. They were true partners. And finally, thank you for the patience of our community which had to endure this inconvenience. Living near the bridge myself, I know how disruptive it was to our families and businesses.”
The area where the bridge is located saw the most rainfall since 1912. The storms cost the construction crew 16 days of work.
Williams wanted to ensure he recognized and thanked all those involved with the project:
PennDOT Construction Inspection Team
Harold Windisch – Senior. Assistant District Executive, Transportation
Steve Laws – Assistant District Executive, Transportation
Seyi Akinlotan – Assistant Construction Engineer
Leo Storniolo – Inspector in Charge
Mike Lucy (JBC Associates) – Transportation Construction Manager
Dennis Schuler (JBC Associates) – Transportation Construction Inspector
Prime Contractor – Road-Con Inc.
Al Hoffman – President
Steve Torres – Project Manager
Sub-Contractors
Beeghly Tree, LLC
Established Traffic Control, Inc.
82 Rents Inc
Wm. Orr & Sons, Inc.
Guidemark, Inc.
Moore Outdoor Rejuvenation, Inc dba MOR Construction Services, Inc.
Lenni Electric Corporation
Jordan's Contracting, LLC
Wm. Orr & Sons, Inc.
The Pietrini Corporation t/a B. Pietrini & Sons
The project was made possible by the hard-working teams at PennDOT Engineers, District 6, and the dedicated contractors who prioritized this project amidst challenging conditions.
Residents and local businesses have eagerly anticipated the reopening for several months, which promises to restore and improve access to essential services and facilities, thereby reinforcing community ties and economic activities in the area.
The ceremony included remarks from Williams, State Sen. John Kane, Concord Township Council President Dominic Pileggi and Road-Con Inc. President Al Hoffman .
Representative Craig Williams
160th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Will Patterson
267-688-2590
wpatterson@pahousegop.com
RepCraigWilliams.com /
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