CRANBERRY TWP — The bridge carrying motorists over the Pennsylvania Turnpike into the Thorn Hill Industrial Park will close for six months, a move that could result in detours bringing heavier traffic in the township.

The bridge will close Monday and will remain closed until a new bridge is built.

The main detour will route motorists onto Warrendale Bayne Road from Brush Creek Road, which intersects with Thorn Hill Road.

That detour is expected to take drivers more than five miles out of their way to get to the industrial park.

Cranberry manager Jerry Andree said Monday that motorists could also drive down Freedom Road to get into Thorn Hill that way, although he’s hoping drivers will take another exit off Interstate 79 instead.

“Regardless, this project will have an impact on our traffic,” Andree said. “But we’re encouraging people to get off an exit early on the interstate and to come in the Brush Creek way.”

The project is significant for another reason as well, Andree said, in that it is a predecessor to work being done in Cranberry.

That work will center around widening the Freedom Road bridge that carries drivers across the Turnpike.

The biggest difference, Andree said, is that the bridge won’t be completely shut down during the widening.

“We’re going to have a series of public meetings in the next month or two regarding that project,” Andree said. “It can’t come soon enough from our perspective.”

The Thorn Hill bridge is expected to be finished before the fall.