FISHER, Pa. (EYT) — The clock is ticking for the supervisors to deal with a bridge in poor condition in Millcreek and Clarion townships.
Officials from both municipalities are meeting Friday in Clarion Township to discuss the bridge and the best way to fix the problem.
Assistant township secretary Pete Krysik received a letter from Larson Design Group, which is in charge of bridge inspections in Clarion County, that said the bridge on Old State Road/Asbury Church Road that takes traffic over Little Mill Creek was in very poor condition and that it must be repaired or replaced within six months or it should be closed.
Larson Design also sent copies of the letter to Clarion County, PennDOT, and Clarion Township. The bridge is on the boundary between Millcreek and Clarion townships, and both share ownership and are responsible for the bridge and its upkeep.
If the road were to be closed because of the faulty bridge, it would have a major impact because of the fact that the road is used by Clarion-Limestone School District school buses and for emergency access.
An earlier study showed major problems with the bridge, and the township was considering ways to find the money to replace it; however, the Larson letter has made it necessary for the process to be expedited.
Krysik had been looking into a number of options to replace the bridge and was considering seeking a PennDOT grant to pay for the bridge replacement. That option wouldn’t have construction beginning until at least spring of 2018.
Krysik said he is recommending a temporary bridge, also known as a jump bridge. It is a portable, temporary structure that can be bought new, bought used, or rented.
“That’s not to say that things can’t change, but our meeting Friday is the next step in the process,” Krysik said. “We only need that bridge for, I’m hoping, for three years. The jump bridge, in terms of the cost and speed it can be installed, is our best option.”
To buy a new one, the approximate cost would be about $31,000.00. Used bridges can cost five to 25 percent less than new ones.
A nearby company in Warren, ADM Welding and Fabrication, has such bridges.
To rent one, a 40-foot bridge with a 45-ton capacity would cost $60.00 per day for the first 90 days and $40.00 per day after that.
Krysik said the best-case scenario is that new bridge construction would begin in spring or summer of 2018 to replace the existing structure or whatever structure is installed to replace the current bridge. It may take longer, but time will tell.
“We will keep working at it and get things done,” Krysik said.
