Polk Township received the green light from the state Department of Environmental Protection to replace a 40-inch culvert on Bear Road.

Brian Ahner, chairman of the supervisors, said the township has already replaced three larger culverts in the municipality and this will be the fourth. The old culverts were constructed with steel and they began to rust and deteriorate. The new ones are constructed aluminum and are of a box-type construction.

Ahner said the other culverts were in worse condition than the one on Bear Road, but even it is showing signs of deterioration and needs replaced.

“This is just one that we noticed was rotting at the bottom,” Ahner said.

The township plans to put the project out to bid in the next few weeks, but he doesn’t know when the work will actually begin due to the closures because of the pandemic. He is hoping the culvert will be replaced by September.

When the culvert is replaced, it will be done completely by an outside company. No work in-house, he said.

“It’s better to let the professionals do that stuff,” Ahner said.