Vehicles cross the Rupert Road bridge, headed in opposite directions, last October
SANATOGA PA – Six of 18 highway bridges located within two miles of Sanatoga village center – radiating from the intersection of North Pleasant View Road and East High Street – are structurally deficient, in need of significant or extensive repairs, and sometimes go uninspected for years, according to new report by a Washington DC-based lobbying organization called “Transportation For America.”
Deteriorating concrete and exposed reinforcing steel are evident on the Rupert Road bridge
The report, titled “The Fix We’re In For,” was publicly released Wednesday (March 30, 2011). It claims that
- the Rupert Road bridge crossing Hartenstine Creek,
- the U.S. Route 422 bridge crossing Sanatoga Road,
- the U.S. Route 422 bridge crossing Norfolk Southern railroad tracks west of Porter Road,
- the South Pleasant View Road bridge crossing Sanatoga Creek,
- the Armand Hammer Boulevard bridge crossing Norfolk Southern tracks near the entrance ramp to 422, and
- the Sunnybrook Road bridge crossing Sprogels Run
all pose safety risks to the public if not quickly addressed. The report’s goal, the group clearly notes, is to motivate Congress to allocate sufficient funding to get the work started.
In fact, it added, on average one of every four bridges within Pennsylvania over which Lower Pottsgrove, Limerick or Pottstown area residents might travel are seriously flawed. The state has more structurally deficient bridges – a total of 5,906 – than any other in the nation, Transportation For America charged.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), in an interview Monday (April 4) with The Pennsylvania Independent online news service, acknowledged the state has many bridge problems. In The Independent’s story, however, agency representatives said the lobbying group relied upon dated federal information in its report, and that heightened repair efforts had reduced the number of deficient bridges by several hundred structures.
Lower Pottsgrove (PA) Township officials have for years recognized problems at some bridges within its borders. Work on the two structures carrying U.S. Route 422 traffic is scheduled to get under way with PennDOT contractors in several months. Problems with the Sunnybrook Road bridge have been the subject of long-term discussions between PennDOT and the township engineer, Bursich Associates Inc.
But of all bridges on the local list of deficiencies, the one that may be most prominent is the heavily-used Rupert Road bridge. Traffic from the Woodgate subdivision, on the road’s west side; from the newer housing community surrounding Raven’s Claw Golf Club on the road’s east side; and from drivers traveling Rupert to reach the Sanatoga interchange of 422, all have added to concerns expressed by township commissioners and Manager Rodney Hawthorne.
Hawthorne in the past has said he hopes that further residential growth in the same area, if and when the real estate market returns, might include a deal with developers to help pay for the bridge’s reconstruction.
Time and heavy use have taken their toll on the side barriers of the Rupert Road bridge too. The structure was built in 1921, when Lower Pottsgrove had only three commissioners.
That Rupert Road bridge has been a disaster for years. I’ve never seen an accident there, but the squeeze is so tight for two cars, I’d be surprized if there weren’t a few over the years.
This “bridge” is little more than a concrete culvert for the underrunning creek. It is not the George Washington Bridge! Why do we have to beg Washington or Harrisburg to fix this Plasticville replica? I’m sure there are a few local, not-so-currently-busy construction companies that are totally capable of replacing this thing exactly as it is now, except a bit wider, in a few weeks.
No Money? No problem! The township could use “Gift Certificates” to pay for it like many stores do when you return merchandise these days.
The “Gift Certificates” in this case are redeemable in Township Taxes. In other words, the contractor would get paid (if full or in part) with these Township Tax Gift Certificates, then he would use the Gift Certificates to pay his Township Taxes for the next year or two. If the Gift Certificates were “transferable” (i.e. any owner or bearer could redeem them for Township Tax Payment), the contractor could sell them to the general public or trade them to his sub-contractors or suppliers. If the township is smart, they will throw in a little “teaser” discount – that is, value the Gift Certificates at 90% of their face value, so the construction company has a built in 10% profit if they sell or trade them to a third party.
Come on Lower Pottsgrove Supervisors, start thinking outside the box, there’s a lot you have to get done in the next year. I hate to see grown men beg and whine. DON’T WHINE, DO!
If I recall, this bridge was supposed to be repaired in turn for Raven’s Claw access. Rupert Road remains a disaster since they put those monstrosities in opposite medium priced homes.
Who got paid what to let this happen? Why does Raven’s Claw have fire hydrants and Woodgate does not? Why not tap in to that system for hydrants? Let’s get these two adjacent townships to work together, and stop conceding everything to Limerick and giving Lower short scrip.
Regarding the repair of the Rupert Road Bridge, Why did the Commissioners allow the building of the Ravens Claw Housing Community without addressing the problems with the bridge?
It was apparent that the bridge was in sad shape even before the constrution of Raven’s Claw started.
Why do we have to wait for “IF AND WHEN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET RETURNS”. The Bridge and all of Rupert Road is a disgrace and the Commissioners should not wait any longer to correct the situation.
There are a few township officials, Ron, who sheepishly concede they missed the opportunity to have the Rupert bridge fixed when Raven’s Claw went in. You can’t win everything in any negotiation; apparently that was among the items sacrificed for who-knows-what else. Now, of course, the money to fix the Rupert bridge just isn’t there … not locally, not at the state level, and not from the feds. Commissioners can’t correct the situation without cash. Real estate sales or higher taxes may be the only answers.