Residents of Tipton, Grazierville, and drivers traveling north to Tyrone or south from Tyrone were relieved to find out that the Grazerville Bridge reopened on September 1 after four months and fifteen days of being closed for repairs.

The bridge, which spans over the Norfolk Southern Mainline, was closed on April 17, 2023.

The bridge spans one of the most important rail routes in the northeastern United States, so the quality of the bridge is important not only to local residents but also to the entire transportation infrastructure of the eastern United States.

The work was done by Amari Painting & Lining LLC of Meadowlands, Pennsylvania.

Work included jacking and painting the steel superstructure and replacing or repairing damaged sections of the steel structure. The company also added guide rail upgrades to the bridge, increasing its safety and reliability for the public.

The total cost of the bridge project was $3,282,465.

With the bridge being closed, residents had to use back roads or go through downtown Tyrone and use the highway, which added approximately 5-15 minutes to many residents’ travel, depending on where they had to go.

David Troxell of Grazierville was one of the many residents inconvenienced by the bridge closure.

“I absolutely hated the bridge being closed because it took longer to get places,” Troxell said.

The bridge being reopened is improving the lives of the residents of Tyrone and other people who have to cross the bridge every day.

Tyrone Area High School teacher Todd Cammarata is one of the many daily commuters who is happy the bridge has been reopened.

“You don’t appreciate the importance of things like bridges until they aren’t available. Having the bridge open again will save me over an hour a week of commute time,” Cammarata said. “I also think the new color looks good. Tan is nice.”