UPDATE: Phoenixville's Route 23 Bridge Making Slow But Steady Progress

New beams have been set over Pickering Creek for the Route 23 Bridge near Phoenixville, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The photo above, shared on their Facebook page Monday night, shows the progress of beams across the spans.

State Senator Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) expressed optimism at the bridge’s progress on Tuesday but said that he was still aiming for something earlier than November.

“While significant progress is now visible on the Route 23 Bridge, I will continue to work with Penndot for completion by September, especially in light of additional delays caused by the Knox Bridge closure,” he said.

The beams were set sometime last week, which matches up with the time frame announced by State Rep. Warren Kampf (R-Chester/Montgomery) in June, when he said the beams would be laid July 8.

The bridge was originally built in 1967 and was 48 years old when it was closed in April.

It’s rehabilitation will cost about $3.4 million.

The three-span bridge is 210 feet long and 38 feet wide, and it’s estimated that it carries close to 20,000 vehicles a day when its open.

In June, mounting pressure from local lawmakers and residents about the drastically worsening traffic situation in Phoenixville and Schuylkill Township led to Dinniman asking for “horror stories” about how the bridge closure had affected the daily lives of citizens.

Dinniman called the situation a “nightmare” that affects both the economic and personal lives of Phoenixville residents.

“These stories put a face on the massive burden this project has put on so many constituents. I hope they will help urge PennDOT to pursue any and all avenues to expedite its completion,” he said.

“We can send probes into space, but we can’t complete a project like this in less time?” one constituent said.

Just a day later, PennDOT said a new deal had been reached with their contractor, J.D. Eckman, and that constructionc rews would 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 this new deal does not guarantee that the bridge will be completed sooner than the agreed-upon November 25 date, it does provide a financial incentive to J.D. Eckman for each day prior to November 25 that the bridge is completed, according to Kampf’s office.

“Construction is expected to be completed later this year,” PennDOT reiterated on their Facebook page Monday.

The project was originally scheduled to be completed in April 2016.