Oct 23, 2013 2 min read

A bridge construction project in Amwell Township will be prolonged several more weeks, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The bridge that carried Route 19 over Little Ten Mile Creek in Amwell Township was torn down in August, and PennDOT projected an Oct. 1 completion date for the new bridge.

However, delays resulted when PennDOT was forced to wait for the box culverts to be designed and delivered, according to PennDOT spokeswoman Valerie Petersen.

Petersen said the culverts were placed last week, and next PennDOT needs to backfill the culverts and put down asphalt to re-establish the road. Route 19 between Burt Lane and Meadowview Drive will remain closed until the project is completed.

Christopher Wise, who lives near the construction site, questioned why the old bridge was removed before the necessary construction materials were available.

“If I was to do a project for someone at their home, I wouldn’t rip half of their house off and not do anything,” Wise said. “They ripped that entire bridge out, and they never had the materials to do the job yet. They just put the platform in these past couple weeks. It’s been about the slowest-moving project I’ve ever seen.”

Wise said the detour is time-consuming, and the tar and chipping on Route 19 has made it dangerous for school buses and mail carriers to drive on.

PennDOT now expects to complete the bridge and restore the road by mid-November.