In April 2014, PennDOT  informed Kennett Township that it was closing the bridge on Burnt Mill Road between Spring Mill Road and Norway Road because the span's I beams contained so much rust that holes had formed.

Since then, PennDOT's weekly updates on area roadwork have listed the closure with an "indefinite" estimate for the reconstruction; however, work has been proceeding behind the scenes.

This week, Kennett Township officials said PennDOT provided an update on plans for the deteriorated bridge, which carries Burnt Mill Road over a branch of the Red Clay Creek. Township Manager Lisa M. Moore said PennDOT had "substantially completed the majority of the pre-construction design work" for the proposed Burnt Mill Road Bridge.

A PennDOT official said the Burnt Mill project it is part of a funding package that include five bridges, which are slated for replacement or rehabilitation. The contract is expected to go out for bids in the spring.

PennDOT said the Burnt Mill Road bridge is likely to be the first bridge that moves into construction, most likely before summer 2016. The superstructure (deck and beams) will be replaced on the bridge, and the substructures will entail minor rehabilitation.

The one-span, steel I-beam bridge was built in 1935. It is 16 feet wide and 22 feet long and carried 519 vehicles a day. The bridge was posted with a weight limit of 12 tons when it was closed on April 24, 2014, according to PennDOT officials.