Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Officials are still awaiting approval to inspect the closed and aging Randall Avenue bridge in Bristol Township.
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Township Manager Randee Elton a hi-rail truck needed to inspect the bridge failed inspections by Amtrak twice and it needs to pass before it can travel on the rail line.
The township and its engineering firm are hopeful the truck will pass inspection on the third try and allow them to get closer to the bridge to inspect it, Elton said.
Officials want to inspect the 169-foot bridge as they formulate a future for the span in the Edgely section of the township.
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The township-owned Randall Avenue bridge closed in late February after parts of the bridge were falling onto the ground and Amtrak and SEPTA rail lines below.
Bristol Township has applied for a permit from PennDOT to transition to Radcliffe Street to a solid green while the bridge is out, the township manager said.
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The Randall Avenue bridge that crosses Amtrak’s busy Northeast Corridor and provides a traffic connection between Route 13 and Radcliffe Street has been in need of work for some time, but the deterioration that alarmed township officials was observed in winter.
The bridge was built 1919 and is listed by PennDOT as being in poor condition.
The township was set to put $975,000 worth of repair work into the bridge this year, but that has been put on hold amid the closure.
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In winter, Kurt Schroeder, the township engineer, said the project was designed to repair the abutments that support the bridge by applying a resin to encase the concrete and secure it. The work was also expected to include resealing of joints, repairs to deteriorating bottom flanges, and repairs to flanges and concrete-encased steel beams. The work will additionally include improvement of stormwater drainage around the span.
Some of the damage has been caused by vehicles heavier than the 3.5 ton weight limit crossing the bridge, officials have said.
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A full reconstruction of the bridge is expected to cost millions of dollars. The township has talked to state and federal officials about potential funding for repairs and reconstruction.
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