HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell today released a list of the 1,145 state bridges that will be repaired under his Rebuild Pennsylvania initiative and urged the General Assembly to quickly approve his plan in order to avoid disruptions when worn-out bridges have to be closed or posted with weight restrictions.
“This list represents my response to a seemingly invisible — but very real — threat to our safety, ease of travel and to the economy of Pennsylvania,” Rendell said. “We must make these repairs or we will irresponsibly leave to our children crumbling bridges and roads. Right now, interest rates are extremely low and, as a result, it is an opportune time for the commonwealth to embark on these necessary repairs and ensure that we leave well maintained bridges to the next generation.
“This list includes bridges in every county. Rural, urban and suburban residents will benefit from my proposal to accelerate the repair of these bridges,” the governor said.
“Residents rely on every bridge on this list, but there is deterioration that travelers cannot see. We are closely watching these bridges and have been addressing the problem for years, but if the kinds of repairs promised under my Rebuild Pennsylvania initiative are postponed, the state could be forced to close or post these bridges with weight restrictions.
“In the past five years we have nearly tripled our investments in bridge repair,” Rendell said. “Even with our investments and increased efficiency, increased construction costs and our aging transportation systems require more strategic investments to maintain our bridges and improve our roads.
“I commend the Metropolitan Planning Organizations around the state that have worked closely with PennDOT to identify and prioritize the most critical bridge repairs needed for local residents,” the governor said.
The governor released the list of 1,145 bridges while standing near the 5,200-foot long George Wade Bridge, which carries Interstate 81 over the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg. The list and a county-by-county map of all the bridges are available on PennDOT’s Web site, under the “Accelerated Bridge Program” link.
Pennsylvania leads the nation with the most structurally deficient bridges with close to 6,000. Rebuild Pennsylvania calls for investing an additional $200 million per year in bridge repairs, which, over 10 years, will mean the number of structurally deficient bridges in Pennsylvania could be cut by 40 percent. The 1,144 bridges on the list would be repaired in the first three years.
“Most motorists don’t even think about our bridges, until one closes – then the problem hits home when the time to drive to work or run an errand doubles. That’s what could happen if we don’t start repairing these bridges now,” the governor said.
He noted that in April, PennDOT was forced to close the Route 53 Irvona Bridge in Clearfield County for one week, which usually carries about 4,400 vehicles a day. The closure created a 25-mile detour. PennDOT completed emergency repairs that allowed one lane to be reopened after the first week. The other lane was opened later.
“Besides the inconvenience and lost time caused by such a detour, in these days of through-the-roof fuel prices, adding 50 miles to your daily commute is a tough economic hardship as well,” the governor said. “Avoiding these kinds of closures is what my Rebuild Pennsylvania program is all about.”
Since the beginning of the year, an elevated two-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia and the Birmingham Bridge in Pittsburgh had to be closed for emergency repairs.
Other components of the Governor’s Rebuild Pennsylvania program include:
$13 million for flood control projects,
$12 million for repairs to state-owned dams,
$10 million for rail freight projects,
$5 million for aviation projects,
$15 million in General Fund money for local dam repairs, flood plain mapping and infrastructure for business development, and.
$13 million more for the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank, which makes below market rate loans to municipalities and transit agencies for repairs and upgrades to roads, bridges and transit facilities.
Besides his Rebuild Pennsylvania initiative, Governor Rendell also has announced that the state has received a $12.8 billion bid for a lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The transaction, if approved by the General Assembly, could generate more than $1 billion a year in additional funding to help meet transportation needs. The Rebuild Pennsylvania long-term investment is needed regardless of the legislative decision on the turnpike lease.
Accelerating the bridge program will allow Pennsylvania to beat the 12-percent-a-year inflation rate in construction materials by getting more bridges done more promptly. The governor urged the General Assembly to approve Rebuild Pennsylvania as soon as possible.
The list of the bridges and maps are available here under the “Accelerated Bridge Program” link.
