The former Betzwood Bridge was a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) bridge that carried Trooper Road across the Schuylkill River. The bridge was reduced to carrying only south-bound traffic several years before it was demolished for safety reasons in 1995. PennDOT developed plans for replacing the bridge that were ultimately turned down by the Department of the Interior due to concern over impacts to the park. Since 2001, NPS, PennDOT, and a coalition of state and local agencies and governments have worked together to assess and find solutions to traffic congestion in and around the park. Given the progress made in addressing congestion as well as the mitigations now associated with the bridge, the bridge project now will go forward.

Construction of the bridge will last approximately two years. It will include the following phases:

Fall 2008

One of the mitigations for replacement of the bridge is that the overhead utility lines along Trooper Road and Route 23 will be placed underground. Starting in the fall of 2008, the following actions will be taken:

- Trooper Road will be closed periodically between the Norfolk-Southern Railroad Bridge and Route 23 to accommodate the excavation necessary to bury the utilities. Access will be maintained for Cinder Lane residents and railroad employees. Once the utility work is completed, this section of Trooper Road will be re-opened.

- Numerous trees and shrubs will be removed adjacent to Trooper Road as well as on Route 23 between the Ironmaster’s House and the McCurdy House to accommodate the excavation. New trees will be planted at the end of construction, although not necessarily in the same places.

- The trail connection from the Route 422 Bridge to Trooper Road (south of the river) will be eliminated and will be relocated to the shoulder of 422, entering the park at the intersection of the 422 off-ramp and Route 23. Once the replacement Betzwood Bridge is completed, the trail connection will be returned to the area adjacent to Trooper Road, on a new multi-use trail.

- Almost all of this construction will take place during the hours of 8:00 pm and 5:00 am. It is not feasible for construction to take place during the daytime, due to the volume of traffic that must be accommodated on Route 23.

Fall 2009

Construction of the bridge will begin on the north side of the river:

- The current boat-trailer parking area will be closed during the construction period and that area will be used for construction staging. The boat ramp and the parking area west of the boat ramp will remain open to public use.

- Numerous trees will be removed on the slope between Trooper Road and the boat-trailer parking area. New trees will be planted at the end of construction.

- Construction will take place mostly during the daytime, although nighttime activities may occur.

- This period of construction will last approximately six to eight months.

Spring 2010

Construction of the bridge will begin on the south side of the river.

- Trooper Road will be closed to all public and park use for the duration of construction.

- A temporary access road for Cinder Lane residents and railroad employees will be constructed from Route 23 to Cinder Lane, between Cinder 2 and 3. No public access will be available to Cinder Lane or to the train station.

- Clean-up of asbestos and other toxic wastes will take place between the intersection of County Line Road and Route 23 and the existing outfall structure just north of Cinder Lane. (See http://parkplanning.nps.gov for information on the geographic extent of this area.)

- Additional large trees will be removed along Trooper Road and in the area between the railroad and the river. New trees will be planted at the end of construction.

- This period of construction will last approximately six to eight months.

Fall 2010

The intersection of Route 23 and Trooper Road will be rebuilt.

- County Line Road will be permanently closed to public use. A gate will be installed at the intersection. County Line Road will be available for park use only. (The park’s ultimate use of County Line Road is discussed in the draft General Management Plan.)

- Route 23 will be widened between the Ironmaster’s House and a point between the Nichols and Haney Houses to accommodate turning lanes. The road will be re-graded to ensure safer movements around the curve. A traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Trooper Road and Route 23.

- The Joseph Plumb Martin Trail will be relocated approximately 10-20 feet farther from the road.

- Construction will be staged and will take place during the daytime hours, while traffic is maintained in both directions. The pavement will be temporarily widened on the southwest side of Route 23 in order to accommodate this staged work. Although traffic control devices will be in place, congestion can be expected.

- This period of construction will last approximately two to three months, and will take place concurrently with, and toward the end of, the construction of the south portion of the bridge, described above.