Birmingham ready for bridge closure

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on February 7, 2017

Birmingham Township police are prepped and ready for the upcoming closure of the Route 926 bridge between Birmingham and Pocopson.

Work to replace the bridge is scheduled to begin next Monday, Feb. 13 at 7 a.m., and Police Chief Thomas Nelling told Birmingham supervisors during their Feb. 6 meeting that his department plans extra patrols in the area, especially near Country Club Road.

He said officers would be looking out for excess traffic from motorists trying to use Country Club and a few other roads as cut-through streets. Nelling said if there were too much traffic, he’d order Country Club closed between Hessian Circle and Gen. Wayne Drive. Barriers are readily available, he said.

In addition, Birmingham police will also be spending some time in Pocopson Township. Nelling said his officers are scheduled to spend six hours a day for six days in Pocopson beginning this Wednesday when a new traffic signal goes into operation at Route 52 and Pocopson Road.

(As previously reported, that signal features the new flashing yellow signal.)

In addition to monitoring traffic at the new light, Nelling said Pocopson might request other areas be patrolled.

PennDOT officials have said the $8.6 million dollar bridge project will be finished by Sept. 1 of this year.

Beginning next Monday, Route 926 will be closed and Routes 202, 1 and 52 will be used for the detour.

Additionally, Creek Road will close in June for construction on the bridge approaches. Creek Road motorists will be detoured over Routes 1 and 52.

Other business

Supervisors awarded the 2017 Road Program to Innovative Construction. Innovative was the low bidder at $99,614. Roadmaster Dave Rathbun referred to Innovative as a “known commodity” since the company has performed work for the township before.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.