Ligonier Township looks to repair 1 bridge, replace another closed for over a year

Ligonier Township is proposing to refurbish a bridge on Harvey Road while it seeks a state permit to replace a bridge on Ramsey Road that’s been closed for more than a year.

The township supervisors also want to improve the township’s last remaining section of dirt-and-gravel road, a portion of Swank Road.

The supervisors agreed to seek construction bids for the Harvey Road project.

The bridge that carries that road across Macks Run needs a new deck and an abutment reinforcement, according to township engineer Ben Faas of The EADS Group.

He said the tentative plan is to award a contract for the project in December.

The township received $137,000 for the project from the federal Community Development Block Grant program, channeled through Westmoreland County. Faas said that money will have to be spent by April.

Township Manager Michael Strelic said it’s too early to determine if the project will require a traffic detour. Harvey Road transitions into Umheys Road, providing an alternate connection between Routes 271 and 711.

The Ramsey Road bridge across Hannas Run, near the intersection of Wilpen Road, closed in September 2024. That prompted a detour using nearby Robb Road.

Strelic said the township is seeking a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection to replace the bridge with a concrete box culvert.

With a culvert, he said, “There’s more expense up front, but it will last longer.”

The township is awaiting word on its application for project funding through PennDOT’s multimodal program.

“If it’s not approved, we’ll have to tap into some reserves, but I’d rather not do that,” Strelic said.

A wall supporting the existing steel grate bridge can’t be repaired, Strelic said.

The bridge was closed on an emergency basis when an inspection revealed that an abutment had been undermined and had dropped between 2 and 4 inches. The bridge abutments are to be removed as part of the culvert project.

The supervisors agreed to apply for a $74,400 grant from the Westmoreland Conservation District’s dirt-and-gravel road program to help pave the middle dirt segment of Swank Road. The road connects Old Forbes and Nature Run roads, with either end paved with a chip-and-seal surface.

Strelic said township officials expect to learn next spring if the dirt-and-gravel grant will be approved. He said the project has an estimated cost of more than $145,000, with township in-kind services covering most of the remaining cost.

It will cost about $6,000 for the township to rent a road roller, Strelic said.

Fill will need to be added to some areas of the unpaved road. Strelic said the project will be planned in two phases in order to maintain access to a home that is under construction along the road.