The implementation of a proposal to remove a bridge on Main Street in Pennsburg has been pushed back more than a year. Work to replace the structure at 11th Street is anticipated to commence in the summer of 2022, according to a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

            As of 2019, the project to replace the 1920s era structure was supposed to go out for bids in the fall of 2020 with construction expected to begin this spring, according to Robyn Briggs, PennDOT's community relations coordinator and safety press officer. She wrote that delays in the right-of-way clearance process delayed the work.

            The new timeline calls for the advertisement of the project next winter, with construction to begin in June of 2022. The work is expected to take approximately nine months, according to the information provided by Briggs.

            Despite objections from Pennsburg council, the plan continues to incorporate a tunnel under the structure in order to accommodate pedestrian and bike access, according to Briggs.

            In December, borough officials expressed their preference for a path around the new bridge near the border with Red Hill.

            Pennsburg Council President Diane Stevens explained in an email message that the two main reasons for this request are that it would be a faster project and that it would provide significant savings for PennDOT.  Additionally, an active railroad in the vicinity from Route 663 would force the trail to stop.

            Stevens also explained that the line at 6th Street, immediately affecting the bridge, is privately owned. According to the council president, municipal officials have not received any updates on the project from the state agency since a public meeting 15 months ago.

            An informational meeting held in October of 2019 to discuss the proposal identified the official detour as Route 663, Hoffmansville Road in New Hanover and Route 73 in Lower Frederick. PennDOT utilizes state roads as approved detours to divert traffic away from municipal and county-owned roads to minimize traffic and damage on those surfaces.

            The current lane width will be widened and pedestrian access will be improved with the construction of sidewalks on both sides of Main Street. New guardrails, roadside signs and pavement markings will be implemented, according to information disclosed during the meeting.

            Last week, Briggs estimated the cost of the construction at $4.5 million. Federal funds will pay 80 percent of the cost, while the state will pay the difference, according to her email.

            Two years ago, state officials estimated the cost of the work at $9 million.