Two Chester County bridges will be replaced in 2016 under the Pennsylvania Rapid Bridge Replacement Project.

They are the Ewing Road Middle Bridge which spans White Clay Creek in London Grove Township near West Grove, and the Brandywine Manor Bridge on Indian Run Drive, West Brandywine Township, over Indian Run. Bids are due in August, 2016, with work set to be done in November and December.

In all, 558 aging Pennsylvania bridges are scheduled to be replaced in the next three years under the public-private partnership contract PennDOT awarded to Pittsburgh-based Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners.

PennDOT says the public-private partnership (P3) will help them more quickly replace  nearly 4,500 structurally deficient bridges in the state.  The P3 approach will also save money and minimize the impact on the traveling public, according to PennDOT.

Among the contractors set to work on the bridges is one Chester County firm, J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen. The 65-year-old firm began as a family construction company and now has more than 400 employees.  The third generation of Eckmans – Mark, Michael and Virginia – manage major construction projects in the state as well as in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey.