Route 23 Bridge Project Begins Monday

The day that many in the Phoenixville area feared has come. Starting at 10 a.m. Monday, the construction project on Route 23 at the bridge over Pickering Creek will force the road to be closed to traffic in both directions for the next several months, possibly into next year.

PennDOT’s contractor will rehabilitate the structurally-deficient bridge by removing the deteriorated steel I-beams and replacing them with concrete beams; building a new deck; and repairing the support abutments. In addition, crews will replace the pier caps on which the beams sit.

Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) will be closed and detoured between Moorehall Drive and McAvoy Lane, cutting off travel through a major artery in the area.

During the bridge closure, passenger cars on Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) will be detoured over U.S. 422 west to the Oaks Interchange, then onto Egypt Road, Route 29, Bridge Street, and Route 113 (Bridge Street). Trucks will follow U.S. 422 west to the Royersford Interchange, and then onto Main Street and Route 724 (Schuylkill Road). Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area. Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone.

The Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) bridge was built in 1967. The three-span structure is 210 feet long and 38 feet wide. It carries 19,165 vehicles a day.

The rehabilitation promises to improve road conditions for the future, but that doesn’t hide the fact that traffic will be pretty much terrible for the rest of the year. Or, as the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management put it on its Facebook page, “Thank goodness this is not a heavily trafficked road and this should cause no real problems in the area. Unless you drive a car, then you’re done. Find a back way NOW.”

Those with questions on the bridge project can contact PennDOT at 610-205-6700. Updates will be made available as the township receives them.