State grant helps offset cost of Commercial Street culvert replacement in Bridgeville

A little more than $300,000 in state funding will advance plans to replace a culvert over Commercial Street in Bridgeville, supporting flood mitigation efforts in the borough, officials say.

Bridgeville was awarded $305,000 from the state’s Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund for the project, ensuring that the culvert replacement is fully funded, said borough Manager Joe Kauer.

The culvert is located behind Dari Delite, at the intersection of Commercial Street and Bower Hill Road.

Kauer said the project will replace an aging, double-barrel corrugated metal culvert with a single-span concrete culvert.

“The new culvert will eliminate the center pier obstruction in the creek, increase water flow capacity and resolve a known choke point in the system,” Kauer said.

“Compounding the urgency, the project recently lost previously awarded FEMA (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) funding due to federal budget cuts in early 2025.”

Kauer said all required permits are secured, and easements in place, so the project is shovel-ready.

“The project is an effort of the borough to move forward with the flood control project in sub-phases after FEMA took back their BRIC funding earlier this year,” he said.

The total project cost is estimated at $1.8 million, Kauer said, and will be completely funded by grants.

Bridgeville was awarded another state grant two years ago for $1 million, and the borough also has a pending federal grant for $712,000 that is dedicated toward the culvert replacement.