SHIPPINGPORT, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said the Shippingport Bridge is once again open to traffic, eight days after it was closed due to a deteriorated floor beam during a routine inspection.

According to PennDOT, the structural deterioration beneath the surface of the bridge over the Ohio River was an immediate threat to the 5,300 vehicles that cross it each day.

"As heavy vehicles pass over the structure, you could see the beams moving much more than what we wanted to risk," said PennDOT manager Dan Cessna.

The floor was strengthened to allow the bridge to carry the necessary load, but Cessna said it's only a temporary repair, setting the stage for a long-range, $19-million renovation project to begin in November.

"We expect to make it structurally sufficient and it'll take three years," Cessna said.

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