CLEARFIELD –– A West Branch Road bridge in Norwich Township reopened to traffic on Thursday.

The bridge spans the west branch of Potato Creek near the Village of Betula and was replaced as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. Replacement of the bridge allows PennDOT to remove it from the state’s structurally deficient bridge list.  

“With the bridge reopened, motorists may notice a slight bump as they drive across the bridge until a polyester polymer concrete (PPC) overlay is applied to the deck,” Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners said. “This is often the final step in completing box beam bridge projects. The PPC overlay is designed to protect the deck from the wear and tear brought about by Pennsylvania’s harsh winters and reduce the long-term maintenance costs.”

The polyester material can only be applied when temperatures are consistently above 40 degrees, dry weather is forecasted and after the bridge concrete has cured for at least 30 days, officials said. An alternating traffic pattern will be controlled by flaggers when the PPC overlay is applied in the spring.

Horizon Construction Group Inc. of Sandy Lake performed replacement work on the bridge.