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Caln Township declares emergency, closes Barley Chief Road bridge and authorizes emergency repairs
Summary
After inspections found scour undermining the Barley Chief Road bridge foundation, the Caln Township Board of Commissioners voted to declare an emergency, close the bridge for public safety and authorize Gilmore Engineering to prepare emergency repair specifications and detour plans.
Caln Township commissioners on June 11 declared an emergency and closed the Barley Chief Road bridge after engineers found scour under the structure that undermined its foundation.
Township manager Don told the board the problem was first identified during a routine inspection and that closer follow-up showed the condition had worsened, making reduced load postings impractical. "During a routine inspection it was identified that there was some scouring that undermined the structural integrity of the bridge," Don said, and staff recommended closing the road in the interest of public safety.
Roman, an engineer from Gilmore, said inspectors looked at the span on roughly May 21 and again in late May and found the scour had progressed. "We suggested that if possible, we consider this an emergency and close the bridge and road," Roman said, noting that emergency permitting (and a follow-up GP-11 permit if necessary) would speed repairs and reopen the roadway as quickly as practicable.
The board moved to adopt Resolution 2026-22 formally declaring an emergency for the Barley Chief Road bridge; Commissioner Thomas moved the resolution and Commissioner Evans seconded. The chair called the voice vote and the motion carried.
After the emergency declaration, the board approved a professional services agreement (PSA) authorizing Gilmore to prepare emergency repair specifications, the detour route and to pursue necessary permits, including PennDOT permissions and the Pennsylvania GP-11 permit if required. Commissioner Mullen moved the PSA authorization; Commissioner Evans seconded and the motion carried on a voice vote.
Residents at the meeting raised concerns about displaced traffic and safety on nearby streets. "What is the traffic the traffic is coming our way and the people not stopping for the stop signs?" resident Tony asked. The police chief explained that stop-sign changes must meet federal and state warrant criteria—typically a combination of crash counts and traffic volume—and said the township's traffic-safety unit is monitoring affected intersections to mitigate crash risk.
Officials said the technical detour will route traffic on North Bailey to the east; temporary signage has been ordered and will explicitly direct motorists until permanent signage is in place. If any portion of the detour involves a state road, staff said PennDOT approval will be sought as part of the detour process.
The board did not set an exact reopening date; staff said the timeline will depend on the engineering assessment, permitted scope of emergency repairs, contractor availability and the permitting process. Roman said the township's previous emergency repair on a similar bridge reopened quickly after contractors completed work under emergency permitting, and officials expressed hope for a similar outcome here.
Next steps: Gilmore will prepare emergency repair specs and the detour plan; staff will pursue emergency and GP-11 permitting as appropriate, solicit contractors under emergency procurement rules and return to the board with schedule and cost estimates when available.
