The closure of the historic Bell’s Mills Bridge in Westmoreland County will last a little longer.
The covered wooden span initially was set to reopen to traffic on Thursday, but county Engineer Vaughn Neill said there have been delays in pouring concrete.
“We now expect the bridge to remain closed through the weekend to allow for concrete curing time,” he said.
Neill said the bridge could reopen Monday morning.
Crews have been working on replacing drains on both ends of the bridge over Sewickley Creek after the infrastructure deteriorated.
The red bridge was built in 1850 by architect Daniel McCain, connecting South Huntingdon and Sewickley townships. The county completely rebuilt it in 1988, eight years after it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The structure was named for the Bell brothers, who operated a nearby gristmill in the 19th century. It is Westmoreland County’s last remaining covered bridge.
The bridge was damaged in a fire in 2009 and a 6-foot section of siding was replaced. Three years later, a $157,000 maintenance project included pressure washing, a coat of fire retardant paint and a new roof. It was repaired in early 2019 after a hit-and-run ripped off a few pieces of wooden railing and damaged an end post that holds up the roof.
More fire damage was averted in July 2020 after a report of smoke on the bridge prompted firefighters to find hot embers and a softball-sized hole in the decking.
