A trio of projects to improve safety and service along the Interstate 90 corridor in Erie County, Pa. got under way on Aug. 25, 2025, according to the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, along with Brian McNulty, the agency's District 1 executive, said in a news release that the three road projects are in addition to the 100 other efforts previously planned for the northwest region of the state.
They added that the total amount of construction demonstrates Gov. Josh Shapiro acknowledgement "of the vital role infrastructure plays in the daily lives of millions of Pennsylvanians."
Through the first seven months of 2025, PennDOT and its contractor crews have improved more than 1,800 roadway miles and advanced work on 225 bridges across the state. More than 1,400 projects are currently under way or expected to go out for bid this year, the department said, and more than 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," Carroll said. "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."
The three projects announced on Aug. 21 involve installing 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," said McNulty. "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 are due to get under way over the next few weeks, starting with the removal of the bridge that carries Beckman Road over I-90 in Girard Township.
Truck Strike Made Beckman Road Bridge Inoperable
The bridge was struck by large vehicle in February of 2025; as a result, several beams suffered significant damage and the bridge remained closed for the safety of the traveling public, according to PennDOT.
The 205-ft.-long structure was originally built in 1959 but is now rated in poor condition with a posted vertical clearance of less than 14 ft. for traffic traveling in the westbound lanes of I-90.
It 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 the need to remove the bridge was accelerated to reduce the risk of another incident.
Preliminary work is expected to start Sept. 2, 2025, with the demolition getting under way six days later. The work is likely to take three weeks to complete.
To minimize the impact on commuter traffic, PennDOT noted that most of the removal of the portion of the bridge over I-90 and the pier will be done at night.
The demolition contractor is Mekis Construction Corp. of Fenelton, Pa. The contract cost is $391,409, which will be paid entirely with state funds.
Building a new bridge structure at this location is slated to occur in 2028 in connection with the larger I-90 reconstruction project. That multi-year effort will include rebuilding the eastbound and westbound interstate lanes and replacing the bridges that carry the freeway over Franklin Road.
It also is a continuation of the long-term plan to rebuild 18 mi. of I-90, which got under way in 2019 with the first of three interstate contracts.
According to PennDOT, 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 safely.
Interstate Ramp Gates Going in at Nine Sites
Gates will be installed at all on-ramps at nine interchanges on I-90 and I-79 in Erie County.
They include I-90's interchanges with U.S. Highway 6N, and at the freeway's junction with five state roads: Pa. Highways 89, 98, 832, 8 and 290/Bayfront Connector. In addition, crews also will put in gates at the I-79 intersections with U.S. 6N, U.S. 20 and West Road.
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 as well as improve service to drivers by decreasing the queue of vehicles waiting behind the crash scene.
The work involves building concrete foundations and installing gates at both on-ramps at each of the nine interchanges in the Erie region.
Penn Line Services Inc., located in Scottsdale, Pa., is performing the work. The cost of the project is $580,652, which is to be paid entirely with state funds.
PennDOT noted that the ramp gate installations are expected be completed by April 2026.
Roadway Repairs Set to Begin on Both Interstates
A series of repairs are due to start the second week of September on both freeways in Erie County and last approximately one year, PennDOT confirmed.
With a price tag of $18.4 million, to be paid federal and state funds, the project is designed to make fixes on a 17-mi. stretch of I-90 between mile marker 18 and mile marker 35, while I-79 will get repairs along 13 mi. from maker 165 to mile maker 178 in Erie and Crawford counties.
During the rest of the 2025 construction season, crews employed by Lindy Paving Inc. in New Galilee, Pa., will focus on making roadway patches on I-90 in the townships of Summit, Greene, Millcreek and Harborcreek. In addition, they will apply a surface treatment on sections of I-79 in the communities of Washington, Franklin, McKean, Summit and Cussewago.
In spring 2026, the road contractor will continue with paving operations along I-90 from mile markers 18 to 23.
The work is expected to be completed by November 2026.
