The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that construction is scheduled to begin on Monday, Feb. 13, to replace the structurally-deficient Route 926 bridge over the Brandywine Creek in Birmingham and Pocopson townships.
The construction schedule on this $8.6 million project has been accelerated so the new bridge can open by Friday, Sept. 1.
Beginning Feb. 13, Route 926 will be closed and detoured for the duration of construction between Pocopson Road and Creek Road. Motorists using Route 926 will be detoured over Route 202, Route 1, and Route 52. Additionally, Creek Road will close in June 2017 for construction on the bridge approaches. Creek Road motorists will be detoured over Routes 1 and 52.
Over the next seven months, PennDOT’s contractor will improve Route 926 by replacing the 79-year-old bridge with a new three-span structure built at a higher elevation; rebuilding and raising 1,700 feet of the roadway approaches to make them less prone to flooding; replacing the nearby culvert over Radley Run with an 84-foot twin arch concrete culvert; and realigning 800 feet of Creek Road at its northern intersection with Route 926. 
The new bridge will be built to resemble the current structure and have stone form liners covering the piers so they resemble the existing piers. The new structure also will include an open, higher railing.
Following the reopening of Route 926, there will be one weekend in spring 2018 when Route 926 will close for final resurfacing of the new bridge and culvert.
The existing four-span bridge was built in 1937 and rehabilitated in 1974. The steel I-beam structure is 190 feet long and 26 feet wide. The bridge, which is posted with a weight restriction of 26 tons and 33 tons for combination loads, carries approximately 13,200 vehicles a day.
To improve travel through the intersection of Route 52 and Pocopson Road/West Creek Road, the contractor worked this month to install a permanent traffic signal. The new signal will include a flashing yellow arrow signal for left turns from Route 52 to Pocopson Road/West Creek Road, in addition to the standard red, yellow and green lights. This flashing yellow arrow signal will be the first to operate in the Philadelphia region.
The flashing yellow arrow signal is new to Pennsylvania, but they have become commonplace in many states across the country over the last 10 years. Based on studies and transportation agency testimonials, flashing yellow arrow signals improve left-turning safety by helping motorists recognize that they should yield while making left turns when there is oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
Clearwater Construction, Inc., of Mercer, Pa., is the general contractor on the $8,614,000 transportation improvement project is financed with 100 percent state funds.
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