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    Stories and Highlights

    Learn more about the PennDOT Cultural Resources team's archaeology projects, history projects, collaborations, and research.

    A group of engineers and interested parties wearing hardhats and safety vests discuss cultural resources at a construction location Header Education
    Archaeology

    Byways Booklets 

    Project Videos

    Preservation Through Partnerships

    The Messerall Bridge was a historic but unused bridge located outside of Titusville PA, Crawford County. PennDOT, with the cooperation of the county government, recommended it be reused for a DCNR trail project in Pymatuning State Park. The wheels were set in motion and what took place is a testament of everyone's commitment historical preservation and effective partnerships.

    Tribal Connections

    Archaeological sites and Tribal Voices help to tell the story of past peoples on a FHWA-funded and PennDOT-sponsored archaeological survey of a project located in PennDOT Engineering District 12-0, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

    Lifting the Messerall Bridge

    Last month PennDOT and the DCNR partnered to move the historic Messerall Truss Bridge near Titusville, Crawford County. The 145-year-old bridge will be refurbished and reassembled to be come part of the Pymatuning State Park bike trail system

    Archaeology Study

    How is an archaeological study completed for PennDOT? And why?! Often conducted under the auspices of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, archaeological investigations at PennDOT help fill in the gaps of our understanding of peoples past and present, while helping to preserve that knowledge for the public.

    Fort Pitt Tunnel: A Piece of Pittsburgh History

    Travelers familiar with Pittsburgh know that any time you visit you are almost certainly going to travel through one of the three main tunnels surrounding the city. The Fort Pitt Tunnel, a resource that is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, was recently renovated, which impacted this historic resource. As part of the mitigation for this effect, the three-county PennDOT region worked closely with the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission and other local groups in Pittsburgh to create a video to capture not only a brief history of the tunnel but to capture the iconic view of traveling through the tunnel and into the City of Pittsburgh.

    Transit and Archaeology

    How does archaeology relate to transportation projects? PennDOT, on behalf of the Federal Highway Administration, and in consultation with Federally-Recognized Tribes and Nations and the PA State Historic Preservation Office and State Museum, developed a video covering why and how archaeology fits into transportation design. The video touches on how PennDOT considers cultural resources in its design.

    Juniata College - James W. Hatch Site

    Juniata College James W. Hatch Archaeological Site

    Pennsylvania's Historic Bridges: Connecting our Past and Future

    Following the American Revolution and continuing up through World War II, Pennsylvania embarked on infrastructure improvements that led to a landscape stitched together by a series of turnpikes, canals, railroads and highways; all needing bridges. Today, an overwhelming number of these historic crossings have deteriorated to the point that rehabilitation or even removal are the only alternatives to closing these connections altogether. Public opinion factors strongly into whether a particular bridge is preserved or replaced. "Pennsylvania's Historic Bridges: Connecting our Past and Future" is a documentary film that highlights public advocacy and involvement in the National Historic Preservation Act. Each bridge tells a story. Public involvement and advocacy is key to achieving the vital balance between maintaining our infrastructure and maintaining Pennsylvania's history.