Newtown Borough Council passed a resolution at the Tuesday evening meeting requesting PennDOT use a mason with expertise in historic restoration to repair the bridge.
The Centre Avenue bridge’s south wall was damaged earlier this year after a car hit it and caused damage, but the damage was not enough to make the bridge unsafe.
The bridge dates back to 1796 and crosses the Newtown Creek.
The resolution states, “To preserve the historic value of any property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, repairs and reconstruction must follow the United States Secretary of the Interior’s standards for the treatment of historic properties and standards for restoration.”
Officials said that extensive stonework will be required to repair and restore the south wall of the Centre Avenue bridge.
Borough officials were concerned that PennDOT’s regular repair crews would not keep its historic character.
Borough Council President Emily Heinz reported that PennDOT has already responded positively to the request.
“[State Rep. Perry Warren] has already spoken to PennDOT, and they have assured him that they will not be using their regular maintenance department to fix this bridge and are in the process of finding such a requested artist to do the work,” Heinz said.
