A completed bridge rehabilitation project is pictured in Norristown. (Photo courtesy PennDOT).
A 147-year-old historic stone arch bridge in Norristown got a new lease on life as construction was completed Friday, Pennsylvania transportation officials said.
The $7.9 million project aimed at rehabilitating and widening the bridge along Elm and Markley streets over Stony Creek capped off more than a decade’s worth of improvements to Markley Street, also known as U.S. Route 202 south, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Construction began in early 2024, according to PennDOT officials. Improvements included repairs to the underside “arch barrels” that support the bridge, along with reconstruction, widening and repaving at the intersection of Markley and Elm streets.
Crews installed a new guiderail, signage, curb ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, new adaptive traffic signals, along with new sanitary sewer and water mains through the intersection. The latest bridge project was financed with 80 percent of federal funds and 20 percent of state funds, according to PennDOT officials.
“The District is proud to see the Elm Street stone arch bridge project completed,” PennDOT District 6 Executive Din Abazi said in a statement to MediaNews Group. “Our contractor, J.D. Eckman, and our design and construction teams used craftsmanship and did a great job of restoring the historic structure. We also want to thank the Norristown community and our travelers for their support and patience throughout the work.”
U.S. Route 202 south corridor work began back in 2013, widening Elm Street and Johnson Highway that wrapped up in 2015, according to officials. Improvements followed in 2015 at intersecting streets between Main and Elm streets. PennDOT officials then turned to extending Barbadoes Street from Lafayette Street to Washington Street “to improve traffic flow by providing an alternate route through the busy intersection” of Markley and Main streets, which concluded in 2022.
Visit www.us202-markleystreet.com for more information.
