Bridge collapse a timely reminder to invest in our infrastructure A
AA jid-Atlantic is encouraged to see transportation funding is now moving through the legislatureK mennsylvania penate Bill 1 would increase mennsylvania’s annual transportation investment by A2KR billionK The measure still needs to go beIoUe Whe HouVe IoU conVLGeUDWLon. :hLOe Whe finDO SDcNDJe LV still up for debate and undoubtedly will undergo some changesI we believe it is good just to see this critical issue coming EeIoUe ouU ODwPDNeUV.
The recent bridge collapse in Washington ptate is a timely reminder of the condition of the Commonwealth’s highway infrastructureK ft is critical that investments are made to maintainI improve and expand our highway systemK A “deficLenW” EULGJe, when OeIW oSen Wo WUDIfic, WySLcDOOy UeTuLUeV VLJnLficDnW PDLnWenDnce DnG UeSDLU Wo UePDLn Ln VeUYLce DnG eYenWuDO UehDELOLWDWLon oU UeSODcePenW Wo DGGUeVV GeficLencLeV. To UePDLn Ln VeUYLce, VWUucWuUDOOy GeficLenW EULGJeV DUe not closed outright; they are posted with reduced weight limits to restrict the vehicles using the bridges to less than the maximum weight originally allowedK
According to reportsI the fnterstate R bridge over the SNDJLW 5LYeU Ln :DVhLnJWon VWDWe wDV noW eYen cODVVLfieG DV VWUucWuUDOOy GeficLenW, EuW Whe )eGeUDO HLJhwDy $GPLnLVWUDWLon GeePeG LW DV EeLnJ “IuncWLonDOOy oEVoOeWe,” D cDWeJoUy meaning the design is outdatedK The bridge was built in 19RR DnG hDG D VuIficLency UDWLnJ oI 57.4 ouW oI 100, DccoUGLnJ Wo IeGeUDO UecoUGV. :DVhLnJWon SWDWe wDV JLYen D “&” Ln Whe American pociety of Civil Engineers’ EApCEF 2013 infraVWUucWuUe UeSoUW cDUG DnG D “& PLnuV” when LW cDPe Wo Whe VWDWe’V EULGJeV. The JUouSV VDLG PoUe WhDn D TuDUWeU oI :DVhLnJWon’V 7,840 EULGJeV DUe conVLGeUeG VWUucWuUDOOy GeficLenW or functionally obsoleteK
padlyI mennsylvania’s bridge system is an even larger probOeP WhDn :DVhLnJWon VWDWeV’. 1eDUOy 44 SeUcenW oI Whe &oPPonweDOWh’V 22,669 EULGJeV DUe cODVVLfieG eLWheU VWUucWuUDOOy GeficLenW oU IuncWLonDOOy oEVoOeWe, DOEeLW Dn LPSUoYePenW and a credit to mennDOT’s focus in the last few yearsI but still clearly a very serious situationK The fact that a bridge LV “GeficLenW” GoeV noW LPPeGLDWeOy LPSOy WhDW LW LV OLNeOy Wo collapse or that it is unsafe – but it is a warning sign that the bridge needs help and needs it soonK
Bridges are not the only issue in our state’s highway netwoUN. :hLOe $S&( JLYeV 3ennVyOYDnLD EULGJeV Dn oYeUDOO JUDGe oI “&,” LW DVVeVVeV Whe VWDWe’V UoDGV D JUDGe oI “D PLnuV!” The conGLWLon oI 3ennVyOYDnLD UoDGV LPSoVeV uSon PoWoULVWV D hLGGen coVW oI $9.4 ELOOLon VWDWewLGe –VoPe $1,800 DnnuDOOy SeU GULYeU Ln Whe 3hLODGeOShLD UeJLon – Gue Wo hLJheU YehLcOe oSeUDWLnJ coVWV, WUDIfic cUDVheV DnG conJeVtion-related delaysK
Ronald W. Kosh sice mresidentI mublic C dovernment Affairs
AAA jid-Atlantic
2n Whe VWoUy DEouW Whe BODcN HoUVe TDYeUn wLnnLnJ LWV zoning appealI GUEST wroteI “vet againI the zoning board of Newtown Boro has made a decision that will negatively impact the residents for years and yearsK dreat job! That is going to be a nightmare for the neighborsK”
2n Whe &ouncLO 5ocN SchooO BoDUG SDVVLnJ LWV finDO EuGJeW, LE wroteI “GooG DUWLcOe &DUy EuW )$5 Woo Puch Wo coYeU Ln one articleK jy advise is to grDdE for yourself by watching from the start to the end on cable or at httpW//bvidKcrsdKorgK Watch the theatreK spin to micromanage messageI creative cutting instead of taxing not on the table E“what would you cut”FI “woUNLnJ Whe LnWeUnDO SUoceVV”, TuoWeV OLNe “OooN Ln Whe camera” to “when f leave this district”I and the open willingness to “tax the people” as the ONiv resolveK Also watch to NOT see the punshine opennessI public accessI integrityI eOecWeG chDUDcWeU. VounG MuGJePenW, DnG Whe woUNLnJ IoU Whe enWLUe coPPunLWy we heDU Vo Puch DEouW. 02ST ,035(SpfsEW NOT the elected board nor the hired administrationI but was the aware participant watchdog for years Enot just DW eOecWLon WLPe) -ohn 5DVLeM cDWchLnJ WheP Ln WheLU weE oI LnWeUnDO JDPeVPDnVhLS NeeSLnJ Whe SuEOLc Ln Whe GDUN (Vee his open AND closing public commentFK They don’t want to get in a hole they can’t get out of - and yet they have no issue with “we the people” being put in a bigger holeK