Mercer County, Pa. - Work on a project to replace the bridges that carry Kelly Rd. and East High St. (T-388) over the Shenango River between Hermitage and Sharpsville in Mercer County is expected to begin Thrusday, Nov. 4.

The project includes two structures owned by Mercer County located between Canal St. in Sharpsville and the entrance to the Shenango River Lake Recreation Area in Hermitage.

Work includes replacing the existing open-grid bridges with a one steel girder bridge with a sidewalk and two 10-foot travel lanes. In addition, the project also includes new roadway approaches and an updated guardrails. 

One of the bridges in the project is a two-span, rolled I-beam stringer bridge used as a single-lane bridge with traffic controlled by stop signs. The structure was built in 1967 and has been classified as poor condition. 475 vehicles a day use this bridge on average.

The second bridge is a steel thru truss structure built in 1897. It's closed due to severe deterioration.

Work is expected to be completed by spring of 2023. During the work period, one lane will remain open to drivers throughout all phases and traffic will be controlled by temporary signals.