Plans for Kahkwa Bridge Project unveiled at Second public meeting

At a public meeting Wednesday evening in City Council Chambers, the City of Erie and TranSystems Engineering Consultants provided an update on the preferred alternative selected by residents in the spring for the Kahkwa Bridge Project. This was the second public input session where residents could learn about details of the project, voice concerns, share feedback, or ask questions directly to the project team. The first public meeting was held on February 23, 2023, to present project alternatives and solicit public feedback.

The former Kahkwa Bridge was built in 1920 and served pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic on Kahkwa Boulevard over Ravine Drive in the City of Erie. Due to its advanced deteriorating condition, the bridge was demolished in October 2021. Based on a neighborhood survey conducted by the City of Erie in the spring, the majority of residents requested a vehicular bridge with enhanced sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposed plans for the project, which are 70% complete, include a new single-span, bulb-tee Kahkwa Boulevard Bridge estimated to cost between $1.5 million and $1.7 million. Funding for the project will come from the $5 Erie County Local Use Fee designated for local infrastructure improvements via the Erie MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization).

The Kahkwa Bridge Project team expects final plans to be 100% developed in December, followed by a bid package in January 2024 and construction starting in the spring. Construction is estimated to take three to five months.

The public meeting was live-streamed and can be viewed on the City’s Facebook page. Residents who would like to share their views on the proposed Kahkwa Bridge Project can also submit a comment form by visiting https://forms.gle/PGWJ3u42S98a3MDK9.

For more information about the public meeting, please contact Jason Sayers, City Engineer, at 814-870-1397 or jsayers@erie.pa.us.