The recent Shoemakersville Borough Council meeting, on Tuesday April 7, began with a public plans display of the Shoemakersville Bridge Replacement project which is expected to begin during the construction season of 2017.
Prior to the Supervisor’s meeting, residents had the chance to see four displays for the project and talk with representatives from PennDOT. A brief presentation was given at the beginning of the meeting.
“What is wrong with the bridge now is called structurally deficient,” said George Gumas, Senior Project Manager. He explained that the bridge is currently safe to drive on, but many elements are in poor condition requiring continuous repairs.
The current bridge was built in 1940 and is a 253 foot, four span bridge meaning that three tiers are in the river.
“The best decision for this bridge it to replace it,” said Gumas. “It has served its purpose and it’s time for replacement.”
The replacement bridge will be a three span bridge (one less tier in the river) and it will be slightly raised to create more curvature to help storm water run off the bridge which will lead to less deterioration. Gumas commented that the bridge is currently rather narrow and the proposed plan will have more of a shoulder. He explained the replacement as similar to what is currently there, but the replacement will be upgraded and make necessary improvements.
“What the replacement bridge really does for you is it gives you an improved drive,” he said.
The estimated cost of the project is currently between $4 and $6 million and is expected to take approximately 18 months. By the time this project is started in 2017, both the Berne Bridge and Mohrsville Bridge projects are expected to be completed.
The official PennDOT detour will involve traveling south on Mohrsville Road to Route 61 and taking Route 61 to get to Shoemakersville. Gumas explained that it is about a four mile difference. PennDOT detours require the use of state roads, but that does not mean that local roads cannot be used as a detour for those that know them.
Barring any major issues, the displayed plans will be final.
Representatives explained the environmental impact as well as the impact on historic properties. Following the presentation, the floor was open to questions from the residents. Most of the concerns were on the drainage with residents highlighting current issue areas such as the intersection with Apple Lane. Representatives said that the final drainage plans would be in the next step.
In the case of any major changes to the design, representatives said that they would include the supervisors and would hold a meeting similar to this.