CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Commissioners approved the award of at-risk bridge funds at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
The county recently solicited applications from local municipalities for projects that would repair or replace structurally-deficient bridges with Act 13 funds.
Only projects with a scope of work to remove the structurally-deficient status of the bridge were considered, said Planning Director Jodi Brennan.
Act 13 of 2012 established a Marcellus Legacy Fund that allocates a portion of the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee to the Highway Bridge Improvement Restricted Account in the Motor License Fund.
These funds are distributed to counties proportionately based upon population. They are to be used to fund the replacement or repair of locally-owned, at-risk, deteriorated bridges.
Brennan said a total of seven applications for at-risk bridge funds were received and requested more than $555,000, and there was only $202,980 available.
Projects were subsequently reviewed and ranked based upon eligibility requirements, funding leverage, community impact, level of project support and collaboration and timeliness.
From the applicants, four at-risk bridge projects were selected, Brennan said, and funds were equally divided among them. The projects included:
- Goshen Township/TR 930, Shugerts Road over Little Trout Run;
- Huston Township/TR 518, Winterburne Road over Bennett Branch;
- Sandy Township/TR 426, Juniata Street Extension over Clear Run; and
- Pike/Knox Township/TR 215, Olanta Road over Little Clearfield.
The commissioners approved the Goshen, Huston and Sandy Township projects by a 3-0 vote.
Commissioner John A. Sobel requested to separate the vote on the Pike/Knox Township project. It was approved by a 2-0 vote; Sobel abstained from the vote.
