West Vincent Bridge Damaged, Reduced To One Lane

WEST VINCENT, PA – Conestoga Road will be reduced from two lanes to one at the intersection with St. Matthews Road in West Vincent Township beginning Thursday afternoon, April 21, due to structural damage to the stone masonry arch bridge over a branch of Pickering Creek, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

Two-way travel on Conestoga Road will be controlled at this single-lane section by stop signs. Motorists are advised to use extra care and allow additional time for travel through the restricted area because slowdowns will occur.

St. Matthews Road will remain open and turning moves will be maintained at the intersection. St. Matthews Road traffic will continue to be controlled by stop signs at the Conestoga Road intersection.

PennDOT will implement the single-lane traffic pattern on Conestoga Road following a bridge inspection that revealed damage to the stone walls that run alongside the roadway.

The width of Conestoga Road will be narrowed to 15 feet through the intersection with St. Matthews Road. Protective barrels will be placed in front of the stone walls.

PennDOT plans to develop a rehabilitation project to repair the stone arch structure and restore Conestoga Road to two travel lanes at this location.

The Route 401 (Conestoga Road) bridge was built in 1870. It is 11 feet long and 42 feet wide due to the skew of the structure. The normal roadway width for two-way travel across the bridge is 18 feet. Conestoga Road carries 6,000 vehicles a day in the area of this bridge.