For those of us living in the western Great Valley area of Tredyffrin, tomorrow, March 21 at 9 AM, the Mill Road Bridge will close for 9 months for repairs. Many of us routinely use Mill Road to connect between Yellow Springs and Swedesford Road . . . this is not going to be fun!

From the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission:
UPDATE: Mill Road Bridge to Close 9:00 AM March 21
Mill Road Traffic Restrictions in Tredyffrin Township Begin March 21
Bridge over I-76 to close at 9 a.m. Monday morning.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists that the bridge carrying Mill Road over the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County will close to local traffic at 9 a.m. on Monday morning, March 21 with a passenger car and truck detour in effect until November.

G.A. & F.C. Wagman Inc., of York, Pa, was awarded the $4.2 million contract to replace the bridge in December 2010. The contractor anticipates the new bridge will be open to traffic before the end of the year. The bridge is located 3.5 miles west of the Valley Forge Interchange (Exit #326) and 10.5 miles east of the Downingtown Interchange (Exit #312).

Preparations for the mid-April demolition of the 60+ year old Mill Road Bridge began earlier this month when the contractor installed advance warning signs on the Turnpike mainline and local roads alerting motorists to the March 21 bridge closure and traffic restrictions. Detour signs have been posted along the two detour routes approved by the township and PennDOT for the duration of the bridge replacement project expected to last nine months.

Starting Monday morning (Mar. 21), through traffic traveling south on Mill Road will be detoured at Duportail Road and from the north at Yellow Springs Road where they intersect at the approach of the bridge.

Passenger cars will be directed over Duportail Rd., Swedesford Rd., State Route 252, Valley Forge Rd. (SR 252), Valley Creek Rd. (SR 252), and Yellow Springs Road to Mill Road (approx. 5.8 miles).

Trucks will follow Duportail Rd., Swedesford Rd., Moorehall Rd. (SR 29), and Yellow Springs Rd. to Mill Road (approx. 9 miles).