Terwood Road Scheduled to Re-Open Friday

For the first time since mid-March, local residents in Lower Moreland will be able to use Terwood Road.

The seven-month project to repair the structurally damaged bridge is complete and the detour through Washington Lane will no longer be needed. The construction was originally ahead of schedule and Terwood Road was on pace to re-open sometime shortly after Labor Day.

But due to heavy rainfalls in August and September, construction crews needed a little more time to completely overhaul the inefficient bridge. The project required a full replacement, which involves completely tearing up the old bridge, rather than doing patchwork on the old structure.

"We expect to re-open Terwood Road (Friday afternoon)," PennDOT spokesperson Gene Blum said. "The bridge is done. Our maintenence crews have had to do some roadway drainage and guide-rail repairs about 20 or so yards away from the bridge. This was damage that was still out from the flooding in late Summer, early Fall."

Crews replaced the deteriorating steel bridge with a concrete box bridge. The new structure is 30 feet wide (eight feet wider than the old one). This allows for shoulders on both sides of the road and will meet the width of the approaching roadway.

"The guide rail had to be replaced," Blum said. "The guide rail work is being done (on Thursday) and we expect the road to be opened to travelers Friday."

Loftus Construction Inc. of Cinnaminson, N.J, headed the project. The total cost was $858,650 and is funded 100-percent by the state.

The original bridge was built in 1925.