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County to order aluminum-span replacement after critical finding on Bridge 16; Bridge 23 slated for in-house repair
Summary
Public works reported two county bridges with critical inspection findings, requested verbal approval to order an aluminum box span for Bridge 16 from vendor E‑Z Bridge (quoted $69,840) and outlined in-house repairs on Bridge 23; staff said temporary fixes keep Bridge 16 open while the county schedules replacement within three to six months.
Orange County public works officials told the council that two bridges flagged in a recent county inspection need immediate attention and that staff will order a replacement span and complete one repair in-house.
The official reporting to the council said Bridge 16 in Northwest Township had a critical finding that required temporary fixes "so the bridge will remain open as of right now." The county placed that structure on an accelerated replacement schedule of three to six months and requested verbal approval to order an aluminum box span from vendor E‑Z Bridge. The official said the aluminum box portion is priced at $69,840 and that the county will prepare an additional $100,000 for backfill, concrete and other replacement costs to bring the total projected replacement preparation to about $169,840.
The same inspection team cited Bridge 23 in Frackville Township for scour at the south-end abutment. The official said the county can perform that work in-house and has about 60 days to complete the repairs.
Kuhns Bros. Paving has begun paving on East Orwigsburg as part of the county’s road‑prep work for the upcoming paving season, the official added. The report noted heavy rainfall earlier in the day had crews removing trees and repairing washouts in all three districts.
Council members asked several operational questions about the bridge locations and the impact on farm access and noted the county’s desire to avoid closure if feasible. The public works official said replacing Bridge 16 with a span just under the 20‑foot threshold will remove it from the countywide bridge inspection cycle and likely reduce long‑term inspection costs.
The council accepted the report and staff said they would advertise additional preparations related to the Bridge 23 work in next month’s materials. The council did not vote on a binding contract during the meeting; staff sought verbal direction to proceed with ordering the aluminum span given long lead times for delivery.
