The Edge Hill Road Bridge — the one that crosses over Old York Road — is slated to be replaced … starting in the spring of 2014.

It’s never too early to start thinking about detours.

A representatives from Alfred Benesch and Co., out of Pottsville, as well as representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, gave a presentation about replacing the 65-year-old bridge during the Monday night Abington Public Works Committee meeting.

According to PennDOT, the 113-foot-long bridge is rated as "structurally deficient." And, according to Benesch, the bridge, in 2014, will have an average daily traffic volume of 7,050; in 30 years, the daily volume is estimated to be 7,830.

The new bridge is in its preliminary design stage; the project will go out to bid in February 2014 and construction will likely begin that spring.

Ryan Fasnacht, the project engineer with Benesch, said construction will likely last a maximum of 18 months, but he said the timeline could be affected by weather and utility engineering, as there’s a gas line that spans the north side of the bridge that would need to be relocated.

Fasnacht said traffic on Route 611 would not be affected. Traffic on Edge Hill Road would be detoured to Rockwell Road ... to Old Welsh Road — a 0.70-mile detour.

Commissioner Madeleine Dean asked if the bridge replacement would bring any enhancements or "innovation." Dean was likely referring to larger lanes or bicycle lanes.

It won’t.

The bridge’s existing layout will remain: it will comprise two 12-foot-wide lanes and 5-foot-wide sidewalks. The bridge will be raised by 8 inches, though. 

The cost of the bridge is an estimated $3 million.