By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Workmen put the final touches on the new Route 926 bridge over the Brandywine. The bridge and roadway are expected to reopen Friday, after a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Image courtesy TMACC.
POCOPSON — There are miracles and then there are MIRACLES. The facts that the Route 926 bridge over the Brandywine is going not only reopen on time, but a week early, falls into the latter category.
We’ll excuse you while you either clean off the spit take from your screen — or find a place to sit after becoming dizzy — but it is true: PennDOT (well, it’s contractors) have completed the bridge and area roadways elevations a week early and before the start of the 2017-18 school year. While the contractors faced fines if the bridge project was completed after Sept. 1, it is fairly unusual for a project to be completed early.
Local and state officials will gather Friday morning at the bridge for a ceremonial ribbon cutting — and the reopening of the bridge and related area roadways.
The project — nearly two decades in the making — replaced the old bridge with a new span and elevated the roadway on both the Pocopson and Birmingham side of the bridges to prevent future road closures due to flooding (a multi-time per year event previously). The project also led to the installation of the traffic light at Lenape (Rt. 52) and Pocopson Road to facilitate the extra traffic over the Lenape Bridge — which came through the experience scarred (a handful of vehicles hit the stone/concrete walls at the northern entry of the bridge causing cosmetic damage).
