PennDOT Says Phoenixville's Rt. 23 Bridge Will Open By November

The contentious Route 23 Bridge replacement project that has snarled traffic in Phoenixville will be completed by November at the latest, according to an announcement by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The announcement comes only one day after State Sen. Andy Dinniman asked his constituents to share stories about how the bridge closure has affected their daily lives.

Residents cited not only increased time spent on the roads but the worsening traffic in other parts of the town, the increased emissions from so many idling vehicles, and the measurable amount of time which the additional traffic has caused them to spend away from their families.

PennDOT said that the contractor completing the work, J.D. Eckman, will now work 10 hours a day for five days a week, instead of the four days they were previously putting in.

They also said that a new deal had been discussed for months and was unrelated to Dinniman’s call to residents.

“While I am pleased that we have made some progress and PennDOT has agreed to expedite the construction schedule by providing incentives for early completion of the Route 23 Bridge, I believe we need to stay diligent in identifying additional opportunities to get this project done as soon as possible,” Dinniman said in a statement on Wednesday.

Replacement of the 48-year-old bridge over Pickering Creek, which Dinniman’s office says is traveled by nearly 20,000 vehicles a day, began on April 20.