The Collins Street Bridge will probably never open again.
The project to repair the aging span is "no longer active," according to a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, and the millions of federal and state funds put aside for that project will eventually be used for other bridge projects.
"The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance will make the decision as to the future of these funds. With that said, PennDOT and NEPA are working with the Schuylkill County Planning Office to ensure the funds are used on other bridges in Schuylkill County," Ronald J. Young Jr., district press officer for PennDOT, District 5, Allentown, said Monday.
That decision may not be made until 2015 or 2016, when the money will be made available on the Northeastern PA Alliance Transportation Improvement Program, Young said.
The estimated $8.3 million project to replace the deteriorating two-lane, steel grate bridge which connects Pottsville to Palo Alto was listed as "no longer active" last year, shortly after the City of Pottsville refused to contribute funding to it in May 2012.
There is no plan in place to either maintain or dismantle the bridge, which was built in 1890. It's 24.5 feet wide on the road surface and 292 feet long. It has been closed to traffic since June 2006, according to Young and city officials.
"The next scheduled inspection is in May," Sean A. Brown, PennDOT safety press officer, said Tuesday.
The bridge
Aside from PennDOT's intention to have it inspected in May, there is no plan to maintain it or tear it down.
"I am unaware of any other discussions regarding Collins Street Bridge. As to any plans to dismantle the Collins Street Bridge or the future of the Collins Street Bridge, I would suggest that you speak to the City of Pottsville," said Susand Smith, the county's planning director, who sits on the NEPA Board.
The listed owner of the bridge is the City of Pottsville, according to Young and Brown.
"But the financial liability of that bridge can't fall on the burden of the taxpayers of the City of Pottsville. And we've said that all along. There has to be some oversight that's not just city's. It's way too big for us," Palamar said Monday.
The project required a 15 percent local match, a total of $600,000. And PennDOT believed that burden would be shared by Schuylkill County, Palo Alto borough and the city, according to Young.
In May 2012, the city council refused to make its $200,000 contribution to the $600,000 local match.
"It's not that we didn't want anything to do with it. The city cannot afford to spend money on a multi-million dollar initiative that has no specific price tag, no specific budget and a 15 percent local match," Palamar said Monday.
Young said previously that the cost of the project continued to rise because of inflation.
In September 2012, John Deatrich Jr., president of Palo Alto Borough Council, said he was willing to start talks with the City of Pottsville and the county about putting together a pool of funds to tear it down.
Since then, the parties haven't met to discuss other options for the old bridge.
Palamar said Monday that the city has no immediate concerns about the bridge.
"What we'll do is we'll keep our eye on it. Anything that we can do to keep people away from it, we'll do," Palamar said.
Brown said PennDOT requires that the bridge is inspected every two years and the last time it was inspected was May 2011.
The funding
In 2007, state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, and the late Sen. James J. Rhoades, R-29, secured $5 million for the bridge project. And former U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, was able to acquire a $3 million federal grant for it.
Since the project is inactive, Young said NEPA will decide what will become of those funds, and he explained the process.
NEPA serves as the coordinating agency for rural transportation planning in a region which includes Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne counties.
"Designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) as the Rural Planning Organization for these counties, NEPA is contracted to engage in various transportation planning and programming activities including the administration of the RPO's Transportation Improvement Program," Young said.
NEPA convenes the Northeastern Pennsylvania Rural Transportation Planning Organization Committee, which assists and advises NEPA with assessing and evaluating the transportation needs and priorities in the region, Young said.
The NPRTPO Committee is made up of 14 voting members which includes one primary representative from each county, transportation professionals from PennDOT District 4-0, District 5-0 and the Central Office, a representative from NEPA and five at-large members, each appointed from the five rural counties of Carbon, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne, Young said.
The NPRTPO Committee is guided by "Operational Procedures," which were adopted in August 2002. "Representing Schuylkill County on the Rural Planning Organization are myself and Gary Bender. Lisa Mahall, the county engineer, and Dana Moyer from STS serve as our alternates," Smith said Tuesday.
"The RPO will shortly be commencing a Long Range Transportation Plan, which in part will describe the transportation needs of the counties in the NEPA region. It will also include bridge and road projects to be proposed for inclusion on future TIP's based on funding levels and needs. The Collins Street Bridge project will be reviewed as part of that Long Range planning process," Smith said.
"Eventually, the state and federal funds collected for the project will be assigned to other projects. The project hasn't been removed yet from the Northeastern PA Alliance Transportation Improvement Program yet. This money won't available on the NEPA TIP until 2015 or 2016," Young said.
PennDOT and NEPA anticipate the county will recommend the funding be used for other bridge projects, Young said Monday.
"The NPRTPO Committee members are faced with various decisions and tasks," Young said.
They include:
- Analyzing alternatives for various transportation projects in the region.
- Assuring safety concerns are addressed when the roadways and corridors are expanded or re-designed.
- Evaluating and recommending transportation enhancement projects, which include trails, transportation museums, streetscape pedestrian/bicycle facilities projects.
- Evaluating and recommending Hometown Street/Safe Route to School projects and prioritizing highway and bridge projects.