The recent bridge collapse in Pittsburgh renewed discussions over Pennsylvania’s aging bridges which have received poor ratings, and projects to replace them.

The commonwealth has over 3,000 bridges which received a poor rating in their most recent inspection. The bridge which collapsed in Pittsburgh received a poor rating in its last inspection.

Dozens of them are located in Carbon County and surrounding municipalities. While some of the poor-rated bridges in the area are set to be rehabilitated or replaced in the coming years, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says that a poor rating does not necessarily mean that a bridge is in need of replacement.

“Condition ratings are only used to generally categorize bridge conditions and to provide a global view for planning transportation improvements. Similar to evaluating a person’s overall health, a bridge’s condition is too complex to be fully described with just three condition ratings,” said Ronald Young, District Press officer for PennDOT.

Since 2008, PennDOT has addressed over 50% of the structurally deficient bridges in its network, including the Thomas J. McCall Memorial Bridge in Lehighton, which was rehabilitated in 2012. In 2008, 6,034 state-owned bridges were rated in poor condition. Today it is fewer than 2,500.

Bridges rated as poor, formerly known as structurally deficient, have at least one primary component which received a score less than 5 out of 10 during its most recent bridge inspection. Inspections are required at least once every two years.

The longest, and busiest, poor-rated bridge in Carbon County is not owned by PennDOT. It is the Hawk Falls Bridge on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The bridge is the longest single-span bridge in the area at 738 feet. It saw 22,000 cars per day, according to the most recent traffic count provided by the turnpike, from 2006.

Construction on a replacement bridge is about to get underway, with an expected completion date of 2025. Construction will not affect traffic traveling over the bridge.

The turnpike says no additional maintenance work is planned before the new bridge comes online, but officials said they inspect the bridge annually and will make any repairs needed to keep it in service.

“We still feel safe with the condition of the bridge that it can transport our traveling public,” said Jim Stump, Bridge Engineering Manager for the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Poor ratings

PennDOT owns three poor-rated bridges in the area which see at least 10,000 cars per day. The longest is the 158-foot bridge carrying Route 443 over the Mahoning Creek in Lehighton. That bridge is being rehabilitated as part of the ongoing Route 443 widening project.

A 71-foot span carrying Route 115 over the Pohopoco Creek in Chestnuthill Township, and a 33-foot bridge on the Palmerton-Lower Towamensing Township line also see at least 10,000 cars per day. They are both set to receive rehabilitation work this year.

Two other poor-rated PennDOT bridges are at least 100 feet long: a 126-foot bridge where Interstate 80 crosses the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and a 148-foot bridge carrying South Ninth Street across the Mahoning Creek in Lehighton. They see 9,981 and 5,728 cars per day respectively.

The I-80 bridge is set to receive rehabilitation work this year, and the South Ninth Street bridge is being replaced in the Route 443 widening project.

Carbon County owns an 86-foot poor-rated bridge carrying East Penn Street over the Mahoning Creek in Lehighton. There are currently no plans to replace the bridge.

An 87-foot poor-rated bridge owned by PennDOT carries Route 903 over Mud Run and sees 6,076 cars per day. It is set to be replaced in 2024.

In Tamaqua, a PennDOT bridge carrying Route 209 over the Panther Creek sees 5,970 cars per day. There are no current plans to replace the bridge.

The agency owns poor-rated bridges across the area.

It owns one each in Penn Forest and Packer townships and Jim Thorpe; two each in Franklin and Kidder townships and Lehighton Borough; and four each in Mahoning and Lower Towamensing Townships. Another bridge crosses between Kidder and Penn Forest.

In Schuylkill County, it owns four in Rush Township, and one each in Ryan Township and Tamaqua.

In Monroe County, it owns five in Chestnuthill, two in Eldred, and one in Ross.

In Northampton County, it owns two in Lehigh Township.

Carbon County owns poor-rated bridges in Mahoning and Packer townships and Lehighton Borough; two in Penn Forest Township; and four in East Penn Township.

Schuylkill County owns four in Ryan Township, two in West Penn Township, and one in Walker Township.

Lehigh County owns two in Washington Township. Northampton County owns one in Lehigh Township.

Funds for bridges

There are currently no plans to replace any of Carbon County’s nine structurally deficient bridges in 2022.

But counties are set to receive funds from the recent infrastructure act, which could help fund rehabilitation projects.

Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said that the other county bridges meet the federal bridge standards. Some are posted with a maximum weight.

“We’d close them if we felt differently. We wouldn’t hesitate to close them,” he said.

What PennDOT bridges receive funding is determined by a process with many stakeholders. PennDOT identifies bridge needs through its biannual inspections of its 25,000 bridges and 7,000 other locally owned bridges.

“PennDOT uses the combined inspection data from all bridges to plan future repair and replacement projects and to estimate the cost of such projects,” Young said.

Regional planning organizations from across the state work with elected officials to decide which projects receive federal highway funds. Carbon County’s regional planner is NEPA Alliance based in Luzerne County.

Alan Baranski, vice president of Transportation Services for NEPA Alliance, said that the federal funding available is not enough to address all the poor-rated bridges in the area. The job of his organization is to engage with elected representatives to use the funds to the greatest effect.

“We bring the local officials to the table to try to make meaningful decisions based on the constraints we operate under.”

Baranski said that the organization is set to receive additional funding for projects under the infrastructure act.

But while some bridges receive attention, others are deteriorating at the same time. And there are massive projects looming, like the estimated $49 million White Haven I-80 Bridge replacement, which loom large.

“This is what happens when you defer infrastructure. The needs grow, and so do the costs,” he said.