Tarentum Bridge: $97.5 Million Overhaul Slipped to 2028
PennDOT will keep one lane per direction open during the three-year deck replacement, though ramp closures will force detours for 36,000 daily commuters.
By Matthew Qureshi ·
The Tarentum Bridge renovation has been delayed until 2028, extending the timeline for a $97.5 million rehabilitation project over the Allegheny River. The shift provides local drivers with an additional year to prepare for the traffic disruptions expected during the three-year construction period.
PennDOT Project Manager Michael Szurley confirmed that the bridge deck will be replaced in half-widths. This method allows one lane in each direction to remain open throughout the entire project. However, ramps will close for upgrades, which will divert a portion of the 36,000 vehicles that use the bridge daily.
The ramp closures will primarily affect motorists accessing the bridge from below, near the Tarentum Marina. While a final detour route has not been set, officials anticipate traffic will be routed through East Deer and across the New Kensington Bridge. The bridge carries Route 366 over the river, Norfolk Southern Railroad, and East First Avenue. It was last rehabilitated 15 years ago.
Szurley explained that the agency combined the ramp work with the deck replacement to create a single cohesive project. "We are building the ramp work in with the deck replacement to make it one cohesive project," he said. "The idea is to minimize the impact and make sure, when we leave, we’re not coming back to start on another ramp." This approach modifies earlier plans that called for short, separate shutdowns for ramp upgrades.
The construction scope includes a new deck, sidewalks, steel and concrete repairs, and a fresh coat of paint. The specific paint color remains under discussion. Engineers are also considering a fence along the downriver side, where traffic travels toward New Kensington. This side currently lacks the fencing found on the opposite side, which features a sidewalk. The bridge has seen several incidents, including a fatal fall by a New Kensington man in June 2025.
PennDOT expects to award the construction contract in mid-January 2028. The work will proceed in three phases, starting with the deck section traveling toward New Kensington. The opposite side will be replaced in the following construction season, with the final phase reserved for touch-up work. Szurley noted that the agency is in the final design phase, handling rights-of-way and railroad coordination.
Special precautions will protect peregrine falcons that nest under the structure. In coordination with the state game commission, workers will use netting and other restrictions to minimize disturbance. A nest box installed on a bridge pier in 2015 has supported a pair of falcons that have fledged 20 young birds since that year.
