Doylestown Township Recognizes Chapman Road Bridge Partners

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Doylestown Township Board of Supervisors on Tuesday recognized the lawmakers, landowners, agencies, and professionals who helped make the reconstruction of the Chapman Road Bridge a reality.

"This was a major project for our township. We have been talking about it for years, and we are happy to be able to provide this connection to the community and provide them with a better commute and a safer passage," said Supervisors Chairwoman Jennifer Herring.

The bridge, which spans Pine Run and provides a vital transportation link in the township, reopened to traffic in early July following a multi-million-dollar construction project.

During construction, the aging wooden truss and steel-supported bridge built in the 1980s as part of the Doylestown Ridge development was replaced with a modern single-span bridge.

During the recognition ceremony, held instead of a ribbon cutting, which had to be canceled due to extreme heat, Herring presented plaques to those who helped make the project happen.

Among the recipients were Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, State Senator Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Tim Brennan, who were instrumental in securing funding for the project; neighboring landowners who provided the easements necessary for construction; and the project's team of professionals, including Pennoni (township engineer), Loftus Construction (bridge construction), TRC (construction inspection services), and Michael Baker International (bridge design).

The Doylestown Township Board of Supervisors with its partners in the Chapman Road bridge project. (Doylestown Township)

The new Chapman Road Bridge in Doylestown Township.

Commissioner Bob Harvie thanked the township for the recognition. "We understand the need for working cooperatively with our local communities," said Harvie. "We're excited that this bridge is now open and we were glad to have played some small part."

State Senator Steve Santarsiero thanked the township and the board of supervisors for their leadership on local infrastructure projects like the Chapman Road Bridge and spoke of another investment that will benefit Bucks County.

"Infrastructure investment is critically important," said the senator. "This morning I was in Philadelphia with Governor Josh Shapiro to celebrate the enactment in our budget this year of Innovate PA 2.0, which is going to fund an extra $125 million into our biotechnology sector here in Pennsylvania, which will make us more competitive. Here in Bucks County, just a few miles down the road, we have the PA Biotechnology Center, which will benefit from that as well.

"I mention that because it is an infrastructure investment," said Santarsiero. "It's capital that goes into businesses, that goes into people, that goes into technology and into research, and it's not that different from investment in infrastructure like roads and bridges. That's why Tim and I have long been supporters of this type of investment. We're happy to have been a help."

The township-owned bridge serves as a key connector in the township, linking the Pine Mill Estates and Doylestown Ridge neighborhoods on the Ferry Road side of the township to nearby Doylestown Borough, Doylestown Health, Central Bucks West High School and local shopping districts.

"It was an absolute pleasure to work with Doylestown Township on this project," said Brennan. "Pennsylvania has a lot of roads and bridges. This is just one more example of what we're doing at the state level to address some of the problems that we have. We're happy to have partnered with a local community that does that day in and day out."