Business owner voices concern on safety of bridge

MOUNT CARBON — The state bridge in Mount Carbon near the railroad underpass on Centre Street appears to be in need of repair.

A piece of rebar and concrete can be seen dangling from the span that was built in 1925.

It is anticipated the bridge will see an increase in traffic with the start of work by the state Department of Transportation to replace two bridges on Route 61 near the former Mady’s car wash. The two bridges, in Pottsville and Palo Alto, were deemed structurally deficient in 2001 due to abutment issues.

The construction project will cause lane closures and other traffic restrictions — including temporary lights at Bacon Street in Palo Alto and at Route 61 and Mauch Chunk Street. The $10,568,416 project, awarded to Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., State College, is slated for completion in August 2017.

“Is it sound?” Michael Glauda, co-owner of the nearby Goodfellas bar and entertainment complex in Mount Carbon, asked Friday about the Mount Carbon span. “You see how old the bridge is,” he added.

Glauda predicted traffic on the span near his business would “double” due to the work on the Route 61 bridges and said he has concerns about safety.

He said his building has cracked due to the vibration of heavy vehicles going over the Mount Carbon span.

“That’s definitely with the bridge. There is no doubt in my mind,” he said.

Glauda also said he called Ron Young, press officer for PennDOT District 5, Allentown, left a message twice and never got a return call. He said a weight restriction should be placed on the bridge.

However, Young said he had no knowledge of a call from Glauda and suggested Glauda get a structural engineer to examine his building to determine the reason for the cracks.

Currently, the Mount Carbon bridge has no weight limit and can safely handle 80,000 pounds, which could be a loaded tractor-trailer, Young said.

About the rebar and dangling concrete, Young said he was unaware of it but added that someone will go out within two weeks to look at it.

“It shouldn’t be anything integral to the structural integrity of the bridge,” Young said Tuesday.

According to Young, the Mount Carbon span was last inspected in August 2012 and the rebar/concrete issue wasn’t evident.

The likely cause of the issue, Young said, is “due to deterioration.” He added, “It’s what we call functionally obsolete. It’s not structurally deficient.”

The average daily traffic on the Mount Carbon bridge is 4,007, Young said, adding the span is scheduled again for inspection in August.

Any increased traffic on the bridge should not be significant, Young said, because both northbound lanes of Route 61 will remain open for a majority of the time.

The Route 61 bridges that must be replace include the so-call Mady’s Big Bridge in Palo Alto, a 314-foot-long and 64-foot-wide span over Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad tracks. It will be replaced with a two-span concrete bulb-tee beam bridge that will be 63 feet, 10 inches wide.

The other Route 61 span, called Mady’s Small Bridge, Pottsville, is a 79-foot-long and 62-foot-wide bridge over the Schuylkill River. Its replacement will be a bridge that is 100 feet long and 62 feet, 6 inches wide.

A southbound lane restriction on Route 61 will be in effect during demolition and construction of both bridges.

Young was unable to say precisely how much extra traffic the construction project would generate for the Mount Carbon bridge.

Thomas A. Palamar, Pottsville city administrator, said he does not have concerns about the safety of the Mount Carbon span.

“The bridges are all inspected. If there were any concerns, I’m sure they would have discussed it with borough officials,” Palamar said Tuesday.

Mount Carbon Mayor Jeff Dunkel declined to comment on the issue.

Palamar said it is possible there will be more traffic in Pottsville because of work on the Mady’s bridges.

If necessary, the city will look at the timing of limits and traffic patterns, he said, adding he did not know when there would be prohibited lefthand turns at Mauch Chunk Street and Route 61.

Young said appropriate weather is needed for removal of the median on Route 61, which will result in changed traffic patterns. It must steadily be 40 degrees or higher, he said. Restrictions would then be placed prohibiting left turns at the intersection of Route 61 and Mauch Chunk Street. This will occur “probably sometime in mid to late April,” Young said.

Lane restrictions will result in one lane southbound and two northbound. Young previously said motorists could see daytime lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Patrick Moran, education coordinator for the Pottsville/Schuylkill Haven Area EMS, said Tuesday said he is trying to schedule a meeting for an update on the project and the distribution of devices to emergency responders permitting them to turn left at the Route 61 and Mauch Chunk intersection. He said the meeting would involve John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency director; representatives from the city police and fire departments and Stephen Cunningham, project manger and senior transportation engineer with the engineering firm Jacobs, Trevose.

Moran said motorists would likely use the Mount Carbon bridge to avoid the traffic delays caused by the construction. He said the bridge is an alternate route the ambulance company can use.

Regarding safety of the Mount Carbon span, “As of now, we have no concerns,” Moran said.

PennDOT workers filled potholes Friday afternoon at the underpass of the Mount Carbon bridge, where deteriorated macadam poses problems. Potholes there are prevalent because of moisture and drainage issues, according to The Republican-Herald archives.

Drainage issues are the responsibility of the municipality, according to the archives.

Mount Carbon council President Harry Haughey could not be reached for comment.