CRANBERRY TWP — The bridge on Freedom Road spanning the Pennsylvania Turnpike has long been a choke point on the congested artery, but state officials on Thursday took the first step in a long process to build a new bridge.

The state Department of Transportation picked the Pittsburgh engineering firm of HDR Inc. as the company to design the project.

PennDOT will pay for the design work while the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will pay for the construction.

Brian Allen, the assistant district executive for PennDOT District 10, said his department has allocated $500,000 for the design work.

Allen said he expects design work to start in the fall with a preliminary design done in 2017.

He couldn’t offer a timeline on when construction on the bridge might start, a decision to be made by the turnpike commission.

“We’re not paying for the construction so it depends on when (the turnpike commission) comes up with the money to pay for it,” Allen said.

Assistant township manager Duane McKee said Thursday that the choosing of a design firm is the first step in a long process, but it is a significant step.

“From Cranberry’s standpoint it’s wonderful,” McKee said. “Freedom Road is a huge artery, and the choke point on the bridge is probably the most expensive piece of any of the projects on the road. When we get this piece, it will allow us to focus on other projects like adding additional turn lanes.”

McKee stressed that the township has little involvement in the project, but that doesn’t mean local officials haven’t stated a desire to see enhancements there.

“It’s not our road and it’s not our bridge, so we have limited input,” he said.

However, McKee has asked state officials about the possibility of installing sidewalks on the bridge as well as a bicycle lane.

The assistant manager said he’s confident sidewalks will be included, but not so much for the bicycle lanes.