Long bridge closing raises safety worries

By Mary Grzebieniak

Long bridge closing raises safety worries

One supervisor said a lengthy bridge closing will ‘paralyze the community.’

HILLSVILLE, Pa. — Mahoning Township supervisors said they will protest if the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation closes the State Street bridge on U.S. Route 224 during its entire reconstruction.

The blue bridge spans the Mahoning River and is located between the north and south portions of Pa. Route 551 in Edinburg. It is the most direct route to New Castle for motorists traveling from Poland and Boardman as well as from most of Mahoning Township

“It will paralyze the community,” said Supervisor Poncho Exposito, who also serves as township roadmaster and fire chief. He said a lengthy bridge closing will negatively impact the local economy as well as the health, welfare and safety of the community.

He said Tuesday night he believes the best solution would be to keep one lane of traffic open on the bridge for as long as possible and to only close it completely when it becomes necessary. He said it would be better to close the bridge for a few weeks instead of a year.

But supervisors said that though rumors are rampant, they have no definite information about PennDOT’s plans for closing the bridge. They know only that a public hearing will be set sometime before the project begins. The bridge replacement could begin this year.

They also are waiting to see what detour route PennDOT will choose. Local roads which might be proposed for a detour in the area — such as Hillsville Road or Church Hill Road — are steep and winding and unsuitable for heavy truck traffic. But other proposed detours might take motorists as many as 25 miles out of their way, they said.

Supervisors approved hiring bond counsel just in case they need to take a loan for some short-term financing on the Edinburg sewer project. They are hoping for an $11 million Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority loan with the remainder to come from state loan money and local tap-in fees for the $19 million to $20 million sewer project but said they might need some interim financing.

In related action, they also signed final papers for the $75,000 purchase of 71‚Ñ2 acres between the Mahoning River and the Norfolk-Southern Railroad from Paul Siegel for a sewage treatment plant. That purchase was announced last month.