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    Erie County

    Niemeyer Road Bridge Rehabilitation

    Niemeyer Road Bridge Rehabilitation

    Project Status

    Step 4 of 4

    Completed

    Project Overview

    County: Erie
    State Route: Township 463
    Local Name: Niemeyer Road
    Project Type: Rehabilitation
    Start Month: October 2023
    End Month: October 2024
    Cost: $3.5 million
    Contractor: Chivers Construction Company
    Last Updated: 06/10/2025

    This was a project to repair and rehabilitate the 148-year-old bridge that carries Niemeyer Road over LeBoeuf Creek in Waterford Township, Erie County.

    The project started in fall 2023 with the dismantling of the top portion, or superstructure, of the bridge. 

    The remainder of the repairs was done in 2024 with the project completed in November 2024.

    The wood bridge was rehabilitated with new abutments, I-beams and decking to upgrade structure, as well as new roadway approaches and updated guiderail and pavement markings. The bridge was repainted to restore the barn red color for which it is known.

    The bridge has a 15-ton weight limit.

    The Niemeyer Road bridge is owned by Waterford Township.

    The contractor was Chivers Construction Company of Fairview. The contract cost was $3,473,690, which was paid for with a combination of state and federal funds.

    Traffic Impacts

    The bridge is located on Niemeyer Road between the intersection with the East Street and the intersection with Union/Hood Road. It was closed to traffic in May 2011, due to safety concerns.

    During the construction, a detour will be posted using Depot Road (Route 2006) to Donation Road (Route 1005).

    History of the Bridge

    Niemeyer Road Bridge Historic image

    Historic photo courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS PA,25-WAFO,4-

    The 85-foot single-lane covered bridge was built in 1875 by brothers Charles and James Phelps as a Town lattice wooden truss bridge. 

    The trusses are comprised of crisscrossed diagonals, leading to the name lattice truss. It is one of only 19 such bridges left in Pennsylvania, and likely the only one in the northwest region. Pennsylvania is home to more than 200 covered bridges, most of which in the southeast portion of the state. 

    The bridge, which is known as Brotherton's Bridge and the Old Kissing Bridge, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

    Contact Information

    Marcus Cramer
    Project Manager
    marccramer@pa.gov

    Jill Harry
    Press Officer
    814-678-5035
    jharry@pa.gov

    Accessibility

    The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation or interpretation services, have special needs, or have concerns that require individual attention, please contact the Manager listed above.

    Title VI

    Pursuant to the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, PennDOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. If you feel that you have been denied the benefits of, or participation in a PennDOT program or activity, you may contact the PennDOT, Bureau of Equal Opportunity, DBE/Title VI Division at 717-787-5891.