The Keller Road bridge will stay shut to all traffic after New Britain Township supervisors declined to lower its weight limit and reopen it to cars, instead pushing a roughly $200,000 repair decision into 2027 budget talks.

At their Monday, Aug. 17 meeting, supervisors chose not to act on a proposed ordinance that would have cut the bridge's posted weight limit from 27 tons to 5 tons, which would have allowed passenger vehicles back on the span. The consensus: keep it closed until the board decides whether to fund a full fix.

The bridge has been closed for several months while the township addressed structural and noise problems. Most of that work is done. Officials said the noise was significantly reduced but not eliminated. A structural engineer then found the bridge can no longer safely carry its posted 54,000-pound limit and recommended a 10,000-pound cap with more frequent inspections if it reopened.

Township Manager Nick Valla framed the core question for the board: spend about $200,000 to replace or rehabilitate the superstructure, or leave the bridge closed.

The numbers suggest the crossing isn't critical. It historically handled just 24 to 26 vehicle trips per day, serving mainly as a shortcut between busier roads. Officials said the closure has not disrupted police, fire, EMS or school bus routes.

"It is an existing bridge, and I think we need to keep our infrastructure to the extent that we can afford to do so," Supervisor MaryBeth McCabe said at the meeting, according to Central Bucks Now. "Obviously, it's not a highly important bridge, but it is a bridge."

McCabe supported restoring the span if the township can land substantial grant funding. One potential avenue is the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program, which funds locally owned bridge projects in Bucks County. Supervisors did not name specific grant programs at the meeting.

Supervisors Chair Cynthia Jones favored keeping the bridge closed for now but said she still wants the infrastructure restored eventually. Jones also floated preserving the crossing for pedestrian use, noting the township owns property on both sides.

Supervisors expect to revisit the repair and grant options when they begin drafting the 2027 budget later this year. Residents can contact the township at 215-822-1391 or attend a future Board of Supervisors meeting to weigh in.