Girard Township, PA – Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll along with PennDOT District 1 Executive Brian McNulty announced today the start of three projects to improve safety and service along the Interstate 90 corridor in Erie County.
These are in addition to the 100 projects previously planned for the northwest region of the state and demonstrate the Shapiro Administration’s acknowledgement of the vital role infrastructure plays in the daily lives of millions of Pennsylvanians.
Statewide through July this year, PennDOT and contractor crews have improved over 1,800 roadway miles and work has advanced on 225 bridges. More than 1,400 projects are underway or expected to go out for bid this year, and over 150 contracts for highway, bridge and other transportation improvements have finished so far this year.
“PennDOT works quickly and safely to ensure roads and bridges are ready for the people who rely on them every day,” said Carroll. “The Shapiro Administration is focused on making even more investments across Pennsylvania to keep people and our economy moving. And we’re investing in all types of communities – rural and urban.”
Three projects announced today include installing ramp gates on several on ramps, repairing various sections of Interstates 79 and 90, and demolishing the closed Beckman Road Bridge.
“These projects reflect PennDOT’s focus on safety and underscore the dedication of our employees to effectively manage our transportation system by identifying needs, developing solutions, and delivering those projects into the construction phase with a continued goal of quality and timeliness,” McNulty said. “Each of these projects was proposed, designed, and awarded in 2025 through the hard work of staff in our maintenance, design, construction, and administrative offices.”
The projects will get underway over the next three weeks, starting with the removal of the bridge that carries Beckman Road over I-90 in Girard Township.
Beckman Road Bridge
The Beckman Road bridge was struck by large vehicle in February 2025. Several beams suffered significant damage, and the bridge remained closed for the safety of the traveling public.
The 205-foot bridge was built in 1959. It is rated in poor condition with a posted vertical clearance of less than 14 feet for traffic in the westbound lanes of I-90.
The structure was previously scheduled to be replaced as part of a project to reconstruct I- 90 from mile marker 10.5 to mile marker 18, but removal of the bridge was accelerated to reduce the risk of another incident.
Preliminary work is expected to start September 2, 2025, with the demolition getting underway on September 8, 2025. The demolition is expected to take three weeks to complete.
To minimize the impact on commuter traffic, most of the work to remove the portion of the bridge over I-90 and the pier will be done at night. Drivers should be alert for rolling closures, lane restrictions and slow-moving traffic between Exit 16 (Route 98, Franklin Center, Fairview) and Exit 9 (Route 18, Girard, Platea), especially non-peak, overnight hours between Sunday night and Friday morning.
Constructing a new bridge at this location is slated to happen in 2028 in connection with the reconstruction project. That multi-year project will include rebuilding the eastbound and westbound lanes and replacing the bridges that carry the interstate over Franklin Road.
This is a continuation of the long-term plan to reconstruct the first 18 miles of I-90. Construction on the first of three I-90 Reconstruction contracts started in 2019. The effort will culminate with a total investment of more than $217 million and improvements to safety and roadway conditions that will allow travelers and freight to flow smoothly and efficiently in and out of Erie County.
The contractor for the bridge removal is Mekis Construction Corporation of Fenelton, PA. The contract cost is $391,409, which will be paid entirely with state funds.
Interstate Ramp Gates
Gates will be installed at all on-ramps at nine interchanges on I-90 and I-79 in Erie County. Locations covered by the project including the following:
- I-90 and Route 6N (Route 3006).
- I-90 and Route 98.
- I-90 and Route 832.
- I-90 and Route 8.
- I-90 and Route 290 (Bayfront Connector).
- I-90 and Route 89.
- I-79 and Route 6N (Route 3006).
- I-79 and Route 20.
- I-79 and West Road (Route 3020).
Manually operated, the gates will be used in cases when the interstate is closed due to a crash or other emergency. They will increase safety for PennDOT employees and first responders who are often tasked with managing traffic during incidents. It will also improve service to drivers by decreasing the queue of vehicles waiting behind the crash scene.
The project is expected to start August 25, 2025, weather permitting, and to be completed by April 2026.
Work includes constructing concrete foundations and installing gates at both on-ramps at each interchange.
The contractor is Penn Line Service, Inc. of Scottsdale, PA. The contract cost is $580,652, which is to be paid entirely with state funds.
I-90, I-79 Roadway Repairs
The project, which will take about a year to complete, includes repairs as needed through a 17-mile stretch of I-90 from mile marker 18 to mile marker 35 and 13 miles of I-79 from mile maker 165 to mile maker 178 in Erie and Crawford counties.
Work will start on September 8, 2025, with work this season focusing on roadway patching between miles 23 and 35 on I-90 in Summit, Greene, Millcreek, and Harborcreek townships, as well as applying a surface treatment on sections of I-79 in Washington, Franklin, McKean, Summit, and Cussewago townships.
In 2026, work will include paving portions of I-90 from miles 18 to 23. The project is expected to be completed by November 2026.
The contractor is Lindy Paving, Inc. of New Galilee, PA. The contract cost is $18,396,593.25, which will be paid for with a combination of federal and state funds.
Drivers should be alert for lane restrictions and slowed traffic and are encouraged to use 511PA.com or another GPS system to identify where work is happening each day.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
