Cecil Township has received a $750,000 grant from the Multimodal Transportation Fund to rebuild the railroad bridge over Georgetown Road, according to an announcement by Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Washington/Allegheny). The project aims to address longstanding safety and traffic concerns caused by repeated collisions between oversized vehicles and the low-clearance underpass.
The bridge has been hit numerous times over the years, despite various warning measures. Ortitay collaborated with PennDOT to install additional flashing height restriction signs and introduced creative roadside warnings such as a giraffe-themed clearance sign and a wizard-themed sign on both approaches. Digital alerts were also added through GPS services like Google Maps and Waze to inform drivers of the height limitation.
Despite these efforts, incidents have continued. Each collision damages the structure, leads to road closures, traps vehicles, and diverts emergency response resources.
“This is not a new problem,” Ortitay said. “It’s one I’ve been working to solve for years. We tried signage. We tried flashing warnings. We tried creative visual cues. We even worked with GPS providers. Unfortunately, drivers of box trucks, buses and rental vehicles continue to ignore or miss the warnings, and the result is a dangerous and costly cycle.”
The newly awarded grant will allow Cecil Township and the railroad company to reconstruct the bridge with increased clearance in order to eliminate this recurring hazard.
Ortitay noted his ongoing collaboration with township officials and railroad representatives in advancing this project.
“This funding finally allows us to fix the root of the problem instead of continuing to react to it,” he said. “It’s about safety, reliability and making sure emergency responders aren’t constantly pulled away for preventable incidents.”
The replacement bridge is expected to reduce road closures significantly, improve safety for drivers in the area, and help protect important rail infrastructure.
The 46th Legislative District represented by Ortitay includes parts of Allegheny County—South Fayette Township as well as McDonald and Oakdale boroughs—and several areas in Washington County including Cecil Township along with Chartiers, Mt. Pleasant, North Strabane (Districts 6-9), Canonsburg, Houston, and McDonald boroughs.
