Bridges & Culverts

London Grove Township is home to many bridges and culverts. These structures are very costly to maintain and to replace. Currently there are three bridges within the Township closed to all traffic; Tice Road, Woodview Road and Glen Willow Road. Woodview Road Bridge and the Glen Willow Bridge are both in the queue for replacement and engineering has begun. Unfortunately, the bridge replacement process has many phases, including; funding, design, permitting and construction.
Once the Township decides that a bridge needs to be replaced, a series of activities begin. These include the Design, Permitting and Construction Phases. In most cases the timeline remains similar weather the bridge is closed, such as due to storm damage, or the bridge remains open and the work is scheduled. The complexity of the project can significantly increase the timeline. Funding of the bridges is a critical component. At this point the Township is funding the projects, but actively seeking alternative funding. If the project is funded through State or Federal sources, the project will typically take longer due to additional review requirements.

Below is the typical timing sequence for a bridge replacement.

Design Phase

• Initial Engineering Inspection 0-1 Months
• Survey Work (Can be concurrent)
• Civil Survey 1-3 Months
• Wetlands Delineation 1-3 Months
• Natural Diversity Inventory Environmental Review 1-6 Months
• Environmental Impact Studies as required 1-6 Months
• Modeling 1-3 Months
• Design 1-3 Months
• Easement/ROW acquisition 0-6 Months

Permitting Phase (Can be Concurrent)

• Chester County Conservation District Review 1-3 Months
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Review 3-6 Months
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Review (If required) 6-12 Months
• National Parks Service Review as required (White Clay Creek Watershed) 6-12 Months
• PennDOT Traffic Unit Review (if required) 0-1 months
• PennDOT Bridge Unit review (if required) 3-6 months
• DVRPC Review (if required due to funding) 3-6 months

Construction Phase

• Bid Prep, Bidding, and bid approval 1-3 months
• Shop Drawlings 1-3 months
• Pre-Fab Construction 3-24 months
• Utility Relocation/Coordination 0-6 months
• Mobilization 0-1 months
• E&S/Coffer Dams 0-1 months
• Removal of existing structure 1-3 months
• Construction 1-18 months

London Grove Township is taking a proactive role in our maintenance and inspection of bridges. Along with three bridges closed within the Township, others have been identified as needing critical repair or replacement. These repairs will be scheduled accordingly. For further information about the bridges in out community, please contact the Township Building at 610-345-0100.