ZELIENOPLE — Motorists will find two new bridges in the borough next year.

Council at their Monday night meeting voted to approve the construction of two small spans, with the help of the county commissioners.

Borough manager Don Pepe said the Green Lane and Market Street bridges are slated for repair in 2014.

He said the Green Lane bridge would have cost the borough about $150,000 to repair by following the normal procedure of advertising for bids. Pepe said instead, the borough will save $60,000 by having the work completed by the county bridge crew at a cost of $90,000.

Council voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with the county to reimburse them for costs after the bridge is built.

Councilman Allen Bayer questioned Pepe about a section of the contract that requires the borough to reimburse the county for any and all expenses, fearing the final amount could be more than expected.

Pepe said the language only meant that the borough agrees to repay the county.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s hidden at all,” Pepe said.

Council Vice President Russell Robertson thanked Pepe for his work in securing the county deal and saving the borough the significant amount.

“We’re going to make out quite nicely on this,” Robertson said.

The bridge over Glade Run on Market Street is owned by the county, and will be repaired and paid for by the county bridge program. The only cost to the borough is about $25,000 to repair the approaches to the bridge, which can be easily funded through the savings realized through the Green Lane bridge project.

Pepe appreciated the county’s decision to repair the Market Street bridge instead of closing it. The bridge is west of Main Street and connects Beaver and New Castle streets.

“That would have caused significant difficulty in the community if that bridge had been closed down,” Pepe said.

He said the bridge will take about four months to repair. He did not know when construction would begin.

Bayer said a traffic study commissioned by the borough likely helped the county commissioners decide to repair the bridge, as it is heavily used.

All of the council members expressed appreciation that the bridge will be repaired by the county.

Pepe said the bridge’s peak would be decreased by changing the approaches to the 15-foot bridge. Construction is expected to start in the spring.