Laurel Highlands trail bridge over turnpike to be demolished
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The bridge carrying the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail over the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be torn down.
John Quigley, acting secretary of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said yesterday that major structural deficiencies will force demolition of the span in Somerset County.
Built in 1970, the bridge was closed after a Dec. 17 inspection cited dangerous conditions.
The closure effectively cut in half the 70-mile trail, considered one of the nation's premier scenic trails. The trail stretches along the crest of Laurel Ridge from Ohiopyle to near Johnstown, passing through four counties and reaching elevations of nearly 3,000 feet. The bridge, between mileposts 36 and 37 of the trail, is the only way across the turnpike.
DCNR said it is moving forward with design of a replacement structure that will reconnect various trail systems in the Laurel Highlands and facilitate proposed turnpike widening in the bridge area. It said no timeline has been established for removing the current bridge or building its replacement.
First Published January 16, 2010 12:00 am
