The State Street Bridge over the Shenango River in Sharon will have a weight limit and will be closed to trucks -- at least temporarily -- because its supports are degenerating, according to a PennDOT official.

"The issue is safety," said Robert Zarecky, Mercer County assistant maintenance manager for PennDOT. "That’s why it’s being posted. I stress safety."

Zarecky said the signs would be posted today setting the weight limit at 5 tons. A sport utility vehicle weighs about 2 tons and a school bus 4 to 6 tons.

A routine bridge inspection is conducted every few years and the latest inspection began Wednesday. Zarecky said crews are still inspecting the downtown structure and collecting data. The previous inspection of the State Street Bridge was in October 1998.

A look underneath the bridge reveals deteriorating supports that run from east to west. Some of the supports are so rusted and worn that there are holes in them. Some beams no longer support anything.

The damage is most severe where the bridge connects with the street since traffic in the winter drags salt from the road onto the bridge, and it has eaten away at the metal, said Doug Leonberg, a PennDOT bridge inspection crane technician supervisor.

The steel bridge is still safe for car traffic, but not for heavy truck traffic, Zarecky said, noting trucks will be detoured through downtown via South Water and Sharpsville avenues.

About 275 trucks make their way through Sharon’s downtown in a 24-hour period, Mayor Robert T. Price said. He said there may be some traffic problems when the Oakland Avenue Viaduct is demolished and U.S. Route 62 is temporarily closed. There is still no demolition date for the viaduct.

After an evaluation of the State Street Bridge is complete, Zarecky said they will decide what’s to be done. Leonberg said some supports will be repaired by plating them with new metal and some new supports will probably have to be added under the bridge.

The bridge is set to be replaced by the state in 2005, Price said. In the meantime, Zarecky said, he has asked PennDOT officials in Harrisburg to approve an emergency contract to fix the bridge as soon as possible. The weight limit could be increased once repairs are made, he said.

The last time any work was done on the bridge was when the deck was rehabilitated in 1981, Zarecky said. According to PennDOT records the bridge was built in 1916.