Union County, PennDOT plan $4.7M in repairs, replacements for four bridges

Union County commissioners approved using Liquid Fuel Funds to join federal, state and local money in a roughly $4.7 million program to repair or replace four county bridges, with preliminary engineering now starting and construction programmed on PennDOT’s TIP for 2027. The move targets long-standing safety and preservation needs on crossings that affect daily travel and emergency access.

The four bridges identified for work are Old Mill Road in Gregg Township, Covered Bridge Road in Hartley Township, Supplee Mill Road in East Buffalo Township, and Trails End Road in Hartley Township. The Old Mill Road span over White Deer Creek has been closed for several years because of safety concerns. The historic Covered Bridge Road bridge over Penns Creek has also been closed for several years and is slated to be rehabilitated or repaired. The Supplee Mill Road bridge over Turtle Creek is scheduled to eventually receive an epoxy overlay to help preserve it. Trails End Road is listed among the projects; officials have not provided detailed scope for that crossing.

County bridge engineer Larson Design Group will handle preliminary and final engineering design and construction inspection for the Old Mill Road and Covered Bridge Road projects. Procurement for construction work will proceed through PennDOT’s Electronic Construction Management System and a private contractor with the lowest responsible bid will be awarded the work, said McLaughlin. “Preliminary engineering is getting underway now,” said McLaughlin. “Notices were recently sent to adjacent landowners informing them of the project. Construction is currently programmed on the PennDOT TIP for 2027.”

Financial reporting in official briefings includes two different TIP allocation statements attributed to McLaughlin. One statement reads, “PennDOT has $2.6 million allocated to this project on the TIP for all phases: $2.25 million for construction and the remainder for engineering design, right of way, utility relocation, and construction inspection. These costs will become more refined as the design process proceeds,” said McLaughlin. A separate report states, “PennDOT has just over $2,000,000 allocated on the draft TIP at this point: $1.5 million for construction and the remainder for preliminary and final engineering design, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and construction inspection, said McLaughlin.” The two figures appear in the same public reporting and are not reconciled in the available material.

The bridge work is framed within broader PennDOT District 3 activity. “Maintenance first has always been a focus area in our district and this year was no different,” said PennDOT District 3 Executive Eric High. “With work performed on over 700 miles of roadway and nearly 80 bridges in 2025, we continue to ensure that our infrastructure is safe and reliable for not just our generation, but for future generations.” District materials also note hundreds of millions in contracts and thousands of miles of road work across the district last season.

For residents, the program signals repairs on crossings that have restricted travel for years and preservation work intended to extend service life on others. Expect further notices about design milestones, detours, and bidding timelines as engineering proceeds. For more information, PennDOT District 3 media contact Maggie Baker can be reached at 570-368-4202 or magbaker@pa.gov. The county has committed Liquid Fuel Funds to the effort; officials say detailed cost breakdowns and per-bridge schedules will be refined as the design process continues.