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PennDOT inspections prompt closure, detour plans and grant debate for Ravine Street bridges
Summary
Council heard PennDOT inspection results that prompted closure of a Ravine Street bridge and preliminary replacement-cost estimates; staff recommended applying for multimodal and flood-mitigation grants while council debated using reserves or loans to speed repairs. A multimodal grant application will be considered at the next meeting.
Staff reported that PennDOT inspections completed in April 2026 recommended closure of one Ravine Street bridge and that the borough closed the road at 1205 Ravine Street on May 7 while a detour plan is prepared.
The planning/staff presentation included preliminary replacement estimates for the two inspected bridges: roughly $1,375,000 for the span at 826 Ravine Street and a figure discussed in council remarks around $1.4 million for the span at 1205 Ravine Street; staff said those numbers are preliminary and that geotechnical work and a full inspection would be required to produce final cost estimates.
Council members discussed two paths: (1) bid and build using borough reserves or a loan to accelerate repairs, or (2) apply for multimodal grant funding. A staff member said the maximum multimodal grant award commonly cited for this program is about $500,000, which would cover only part of the estimated replacement cost. “The maximum funding for a multimodal grant… is 500,000,” a council member said, noting that the multimodal award would cover only part of the expense.
Council debated prioritization and timing: several members urged applying for the grant because acquiring a larger multimodal allocation takes time and the borough has limited reserves; others argued a loan could be faster. One member said the bridge at 1205 is critical and discussed pursuing all available funding sources while preparing bid documents and contingency plans.
Next steps: staff said KLA and county partners will complete geotechnical and more detailed cost work, prepare grant documents where applicable, and bring the multimodal grant application and a recommendation back to council at next week’s regular meeting. The council did not take a final funding vote at the workshop.
