I-79 Dual Bridges Rehabilitation

County: Erie
Municipality: City of Erie
State Route: 0079 and 0005
Local Name: Interstate 79 and 12th Street
Project Type: Bridge Rehabilitation and Resurfacing
Proposed Construction Start: 2027
Last Updated: 07/22/2026

The purpose of the project is to rehabilitate the dual bridges carrying Interstate 79 over CSX & Norfolk Southern Railroads, Irwin Drive, Rudolph Avenue, and West 16th Street in the City of Erie, Erie County.

I-79 Bridges

The scope of the rehabilitation work on the bridge includes: 

• Replace the existing concrete deck and barriers with a new concrete deck and barriers. 
• Install new expansion joints. 
• Repaint all existing structural steel. 
• Replace all existing bridge bearings. 
• Remove the existing de-icing system. 
• Install new scuppers and replace all downspouting. 
• Replace approach slabs. 
• Repair deteriorated concrete and apply protective coating on the existing substructure units. 
• Replace the bridge lighting system. 
• Install protective fencing. 
• Repair deteriorations and retrofit the existing steel plate girders to meet current standards. 
• Strengthen the existing steel plate girders to meet current design standards and vehicle loading requirements. 
• Replace the bridge mounted sign structures on I-79 southbound. 

Proposed work also includes approximately 2,000 feet of pavement patching north of the structures to the Route 5 eastbound overpass, and approximately 1,500 feet of paving south of the structures to the Route 20 interchange. Road work will be completed on Exit 183A and on-ramp from Route 5. 

Each of the 12-span, approximately 1570 feet long, steel plate girder bridges were built in 1983 and are currently rated in fair condition. The bridges each carry three lanes of I-79 (three lanes northbound and three lanes southbound). Approximately 20,500 vehicles use the bridges daily, of which 7% is truck traffic.

Route 5 

Pavement resurfacing and overhead sign replacements on Route 5 from the intersection with Pittsburgh Avenue to the intersection with Greengarden Boulevard.

The bridges are located on I-79 between Exits 182 and 183A in the City of Erie, Erie County.

Work will be done on Route 5 from the intersection with Pittsburgh Avenue to the intersection with Greengarden Boulevard.

Crossovers will be constructed and used to maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction on one bridge during each phase of construction.

Updated plans require detours throughout various phases of the construction.

• On-ramps connecting West 12th Street to I-79 southbound (Exit 183B) – Proposed closure for 18 to 24 months. Proposed 3-mile detour uses Route 5, Route 832, and Route 20.
•  Exits 183A and 183B connecting I-79 northbound to West 12th Street – Proposed closure for 18 to 24 months. Proposed 0.75-mile detour uses the Bayfront Parkway (Route 4034) and Greengarden Boulevard.
• Lincoln Avenue south of the Bayfront Parkway – Proposed closure from the Bayfront Parkway to Route 5 for approximately 36 to 48 months. Proposed 0.5-mile detour uses West 11th Street, Greengarden Boulevard, and West 8th Street. 

Maps showing the proposed detours are available by clicking here. 

Proposed traffic control for work on Route 5 includes short-term measures, like lane restrictions controlled by flaggers and intermittent stoppages to accommodate paving and overhead sign replacements.

Two National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligible railroad lines are present under the bridges: NY, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad and Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. Both historic railroads share the same alignment (within the current Norfolk Southern RR right of way) but separate just east of the project area. It appears that NY, Chicago & St. Louis RR was the main east-west route; Bessemer & Lake Erie RR occupied portions of the east-west line for its north-south connection between Pittsburgh and the Port of Erie.

Temporary Construction Easements (TCE) will be acquired for contractor access to the I-79 bridges. Temporary occupancy of the historic railroads will not affect the historic significance of the railroads; following the temporary occupancy, the property will be restored to its original state, and the railroads will continue to be eligible for listing in the NRHP. No significant engineering features of the historic railroads are present within the area of potential effect.