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Officials press PennDOT for faster fix after void found under High Street Bridge
Summary
Lower Pottsgrove officials raised urgent safety concerns after video documented a void beneath the High Street Bridge and said they will press PennDOT and state legislators for an accelerated repair plan.
Lower Pottsgrove commissioners on May 5 pressed for a faster, more comprehensive repair of the century-old High Street Bridge after video taken during a site meeting showed a structural void beneath the span.
At the Board of Commissioners meeting, Township Manager Edward C. Wagner and Commissioner Robert Mohollen described a February cave-in and a subsequent inspection that found a void under the bridge. Mohollen said Sanatoga Fire Chief Eric Linsenbigler crawled beneath the structure and recorded video showing the deterioration; commissioners described the damage as a public-safety concern for emergency responders who use the route.
PennDOT officials met with township leaders, Representative Joe Ciresi and Senator Tracy Pennycuick on-site, Wagner said. PennDOT’s phased plan includes shifting traffic to two 10-foot lanes, a short stone-arch repair phase of about two months, a $2.5 million rehabilitation grant for immediate work and a larger $15–20 million project proposed for a later phase. Commissioners said those plans should be combined and expedited.
"Given the condition shown on the video, the work cannot wait until the Route 422 project is complete," Mohollen said, urging a direct meeting with PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. Wagner said he and commissioners plan to travel to Harrisburg to press the case.
The High Street Bridge, built circa 1910, sits on a busy corridor near the hospital and is used by police and fire units. Township officials said PennDOT placed temporary repairs and barrier-based traffic shifts while planning the rehabilitation. No final construction timetable was announced at the meeting.
Other bridge updates at the meeting: Wagner said the South Pleasantview Road Bridge will close May 19 for work prompted by a hole in the structure and is expected to be closed roughly 180 days; the Snell Road Bridge reopened April 25 and is pending a final punch-list walk.
