WAYNESBORO, Pa. — The wait is nearly over.
The bridge on Amsterdam Road near Shank’s Mill that has been closed since 2018 will reopen soon.
“It’s been a long time and took a lot of preparation, but once the grant was obtained we were able to get the project together,” said Washington Township Manager Vernon Ashway. “All the contractors involved have been phenomenal and I’d like to thank Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) and Rep. Chad Reichard (R-Franklin) for helping us get the grant,” he added.
The $354,000 award from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) covered all the costs, according to Ashway, township manager since 2023.
The bridge was closed due to structural deficiencies, he added. ”It had started to collapse.” Traffic had been diverted through Meadow View development for the past eight years.
“We applied for several grants and in February 2025, received the DCED grant that was written by Delta Development Group Inc., Camp Hill.” The contract was signed in April 2025, Ashway said.
The bridge was designed by C.S. Davidson, York, he added. “Once we signed contracts we had to obtain easements and facilitate a plan with the power company to have electric lines removed because there would be cranes used in the construction. The easements from the property owners were needed because the only right-of-way we had was the paved surface and we needed more ground on both sides of the road to allow the bridge to be expanded.”
The project was bid and awarded to JVI Group, York Springs, in February 2026. “They had to order a precast box culvert structure to be used in construction, and measure it to allow for the sewer line that runs down the road. It was custom ordered from Monarch Concrete Products, York Haven, and constructed in sections at their facility.”
Workers started excavation Oct. 22 in preparation for the sections to be delivered, which occurred Oct. 28. The area was also backfilled before paving began. “We’re really glad to see the project completed and get the road back open,” he added.
