New Chesco bridge is opened to traffic

After more than a decade, the Landenberg Road Bridge in Chester County, which spans the east branch of White Clay Creek in New Garden Township, is back in operation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

Crews began removing the structurally deficient bridge, which was closed to traffic in 1999, last October, PennDot said. The $1.7 million state-financed, single-span, steel-beam replacement resembles its 1871 predecessor, the release said. The original truss and railing were reused decoratively, and the span's concrete abutments and wing walls mimic the original stone masonry pattern; a six-foot-wide pedestrian walkway is also part of the new structure.

New Garden Township will take ownership of the bridge with a dedication ceremony scheduled for Oct. 3. - Kathleen Brady Shea