November 2023

Keller Engineers had two ribbon cuttings in one week! Thank you ALL who braved the colder and snowy weather to celebrate these project completions.

This project was undertaken to replace four structurally deficient culverts on County Road 101. This project was also the local match for a $2M PennDOT RoadMaP Program grant to rehabilitate two County-owned bridges. The structures include County bridge numbers 87, 88, and 89 located in Greenfield Township, and County bridge number 92 in Freedom Township.

Owner: County of Blair, Pennsylvania

Engineer: Keller Engineers, Inc.

Inspector: Keller Engineers, Inc.

Contractor: Francis J. Palo, Inc.

Completion Date: November 2023

BRIDGE 87

Bridge number 87 spans over an unnamed tributary to the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River in Greenfield Township. The new structure is a single cell, 17’-0” x 4’-6” precast reinforced concrete box culvert. The bridge carries two-way traffic and has a clear roadway width of 24’-0’.

BRIDGE 88

County Bridge number 88 spans over an unnamed tributary to the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River in Greenfield Township. The new structure is a single cell, 12'-0" x 5'-6" precast reinforced concrete box culvert. The bridge carries two way traffic and has a 35''-4" curb-to-curb width which includes parking lanes. The project also includes Americans with Disabilities Act accessible new and additional sidewalks to compete the route to points north and south of the project.

BRIDGE 89

Blair County Bridge number 89 spans over an unnamed tributary to the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River in Greenfield Township. The new structure is a single cell, 16’-0” x 5’-6” precast reinforced concrete box culvert. The structure carries two-way traffic and has a clear roadway width of 24’-0”.

BRIDGE 92

Blair County Bridge number 92 spans over Pawpaw Run in Freedom Township. The structure is a single cell, 10'-0" x 7'-6" precast reinforced concrete box culvert. The bridge carries two-way traffic and has a clear roadway width of 24'-0".

This project involved replacing the historic Pratt Through Truss bridge with a 98’-6” P/S concrete I-beam bridge. The former structure had been closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic for an extended period, and was removed in 2022.

Owner: County of Cambria, Pennsylvania

Engineer: Keller Engineers, Inc.

Inspector: Keller Engineers, Inc.

Contractor: Charles J. Merlo, Inc.

Completion Date: October 31, 2023

Due to the historic nature of the Pratt Through Truss bridge, the materials chosen to finish the new bridge were selected to provide a natural look, very similar to the original bridge. Overall, the bridge has a total length of 575’ which includes roadway and drainage improvements to both bridge approaches. 

PennDOT Connects

Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) Basics for Municipalities

Join PennDOT Connects – November 9, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – for an on-line session that will cover Highway Occupancy Basics and common questions municipalities may have regarding them.

The discussion will cover when HOPs are required, the process of obtaining them for the different scenarios that may arise, and provide guidance that can be passed along to property owners and/or others working within your municipality.

For more information and to register click here.

All across the Commonwealth, there are many interesting names for the numerous roads, streets and highways we travel. We asked Keller employees to relay any unique names they know of and the story behind the name. Kim Carr, Chief Bridge Inspector, provided this month's name and story. Credit is also due to Bill Henry, Project Manager in Water/Wastewater, for assisting with the story.

Do YOU know of any unique road names and the story behind them? We would love to know more! Please email bcorle@keller-engineers.com with your road name and story. It will be shared, with credit, in Keller Engineers' newsletter and on our various social media sites.

Keller Engineers' very own Director of Business Development, Diana McClure, was recently awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce. President Joe Keller had this to say in response to

Diana's recognition:

"Diana has been involved in numerous Chamber events over the years. It is nice to see her recognized for her time and effort. Thank you Diana for representing our company well in all the communities we serve."

"We must find time to STOP and THANK the

people who make a difference in our lives."

- John F. Kennedy

Every company has a story,

THANK YOU for being a part of ours.

Our office will be closed Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th, so our employees can celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with their families.

Keller Engineers, Inc. | keller-engineers.com 

Delivering Results. Exceeding Expectations.