Montgomery County released an update today on the reopening of the West Valley Green Road Bridge.

Below is the statement:

Montgomery County will undertake interim repairs to reopen the West Valley Green Road Bridge over the Wissahickon Creek in Whitemarsh Township. The construction work will be advertised for bids this week and it is anticipated the contract will be awarded at the Board of Commissioners meeting in September.

This interim work is expected to be completed by early 2020, depending on weather conditions, and the bridge reopened to most passenger vehicles and emergency vehicles that weigh less than 3 tons and are below a height of 7-feet. The bridge will continue to be inspected by PennDOT every six months to ensure its structural integrity.

The existing bridge, constructed in 1884, was determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). A federal aid project to provide a long-term improvement of the crossing has been under development by the County. Recently, it was determined that the bridge could not be rehabilitated (in-place) to meet the current transportation needs for the crossing.

The County, in consultation with PennDOT, proposed relocating the historic truss bridge for reuse to another County-owned property. The proposal has two significant benefits. It will reduce the design process for the federal aid project by at least a year and that the interim improvements made to the bridge will be useful for years to come as the truss will be saved and repurposed.

The future relocation of the historic truss will allow the County to design a new bridge with wider lanes for vehicle traffic and sidewalks for pedestrians. It will also be designed to reduce the impact of flooding on the bridge and surrounding areas during storm events.

The federal government is funding 80 percent of the cost for the bridge relocation and replacement. The state is providing 15 percent of the funds and Montgomery County is providing 5 percent.

We will continue to post updates on the project to the County website as they become available