A restoration project for the Route 44 bridge over the West Branch Susquehanna River in Nippenose Township and Jersey Shore Borough is underway, with completion slated for fall.

The contractor, Spartan Contracting LLC, will be performing steel repairs and continuing the construction of a work platform in preparation for upcoming bridge painting, according to a statement from PennDOT.

The statement warned that “drivers can expect single lane restrictions with flagging during daylight hours while this work is being performed.”

Temporary traffic signals are installed and a truck detour is in effect with a single lane condition on the bridge, which will remain in place for the duration of the project.

A 13-foot, 6-inch height restriction is in effect along with a 10-foot width restriction on the river bridge, both of which also will remain through the duration of the project.

The Route 44 bridge project “is anticipated to be completed in the fall 2026, weather permitting.”

According to the Historic Bridges website, the structure itself was built in 1933 and is considered a “metal nine-panel, rivet-connected Parker through truss, fixed.”

The site shared that major renovation had been conducted in 2000. The main span currently stretches over 67 meters, and the total structure is over 135 meters long and over 7 meters wide.

The repairs were announced in a statement back in March. Though the spring and summer construction season has been underway, “there is a renewed sense of energy, as PennDOT crews and industry partners begin construction to preserve and strengthen the transportation infrastructure throughout the region.”

According to PennDOT District 3 Executive Eric High, the investment made into the area’s transportation system is an investment into our future.

He explained that each “project, big and small, supports our economy and enhances our communities by building and maintaining safe, reliable connections that move our region forward.”

This project is one of the 101 projects anticipated to start during the 2026 construction season, and 37 projects will continue in 2026 in the nine-county, Montoursville-based region.