Saving the Salina Bridge to be costly project
More than 100 area residents showed Thursday at the Bell Township Volunteer Fire Department Recreation Hall to learn about the fate of the Salina Bridge.
PennDOT presented three options, costing roughly $11 million to $22 million, to rehabilitate the bridge spanning the Kiski River between Bell and Kiski townships.
The meeting was held to outline the options for the century-old span, which is eligible for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1906, the Salina Bridge is a Parker Truss bridge, a design used for long spans from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s.
It was last rehabilitated in 1978.
The bridge serves just over 600 cars a day, according to PennDOT.
The span is structurally deficient and cannot carry water pumper fire trucks, which has been an issue for firefighters responding to local emergencies.
Although the bridge's steel is degrading and it's narrow by today's standards, the bridge still is safe for light traffic, according to Troy Pritts, design project manager for PennDOT district 12.
The bridge is woefully shy of current transportation standards — not even 19 feet wide. The minimum width for the bridge should be 28 foot, according to Pritts.
PennDOT will analyze the public's comments and project information and select an alternative and start design work in 2020. Construction could start in 2022, according to Pritts.
Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-226-4691, mthomas@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaThomas_Trib.
