Canal Road bridge near I-83 now has a weight restriction; trucks will need to detour

The state Department of Transportation recently posted a weight res t riction on a Canal Road bridge over the Little Conewago Creek near Interstate 83.

The bridge on the border of Conewago and East Manchester townships now has a weight limit of 29 tons, Carey Mullins, transportation planning manager for PennDOT District 8, told the York Area Metropolitan Planning Organization last week. The span is scheduled to be replaced in 2025.

"This load posting is being placed due to advancing deterioration of steel support beams," Mullins said.

Municipalities, school districts and police departments in the area have been notified about the weight restriction, Carey said.

PennDOT posted weight restriction signs at the bridge on April 9, PennDOT spokesman Dave Thompson said. It also has put up warning signs at intersections near the crossing so overweight vehicles will not become entrapped.

A truck detour route will be in place, and signs are expected to go up this week, Thompson said.

Canal Road bridge to be replaced in 2025

The Canal Road bridge, built in 1948, is listed in poor condition, according to PennDOT's database of bridge conditions. About 7,454 vehicles cross the bridge daily.

It was one of the poor bridges in York County to keep an eye on after a span collapsed in Pittsburgh two years ago.

No immediate safety concerns exist with the Canal Road bridge because it has built-in redundancy, Thompson said. The span will not collapse if a component fails.

The weight limit is intended to reduce further deterioration of the crossing and ensure a safe level of performance until it is replaced, he said. PennDOT is increasing the frequency of inspections on the bridge.

Police will handle enforcement of the weight restriction, Thompson said. Drivers who violate it could face fines under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.

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Trucks will be detoured because of the weight restriction

The truck detour will involve Route 181 (George Street), Route 238 (Church Road) and the Susquehanna Trail, Thompson said.

Signs for the truck detour are being manufactured and are expected to be in place this week, he said.

Some tractor-trailers, such as empty ones, may not exceed the weight limit.

New, wider bridge to be built over the Little Conewago Creek

Construction on a new bridge is expected to start in spring 2025, Thompson said.

It will be wider with three 11-foot lanes and 4-foot shoulders.

The wider crossing will accommodate truck traffic from nearby warehouses in an area that is growing. The Dover Township Planning Commission recently recommended approval for a warehouse complex near Canal and Bull roads .

The cost estimate for the new bridge is about $2.7 million, Thompson said.

Developers are paying for other roadway construction costs, such as right-of-way and utility relocation, he said. That is expected to exceed $10 million.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Canal Road bridge near I-83 now has a weight restriction; trucks will need to detour