Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bristol Township officials recently received some bad news about the deteriorating Randall Avenue bridge that has been closed since winter.
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This month, Township Manager Randee Elton said the municipality applied but failed to secure a $25 million federal grant for bridge reconstruction and a $9 million grant for its demolition.
Elton said the township continues to seek grants to repair the concrete bridge structure. Prior to the closure, the municipality was awarded a grant to repair the bridge abutments, but that work has been put on hold.
“We’re looking at all avenues and trying to figure it out,” Elton said.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
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More bad news came recently as the township has been unable to secure a hi-rail truck approved by Amtrak to inspect the underside of the bridge, Elton said.
The township manager said it might be months before the truck, the only type of its kind, can be used to inspect the bridge.
Officials have deemed it necessary 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 had fallen onto the ground and the Amtrak and SEPTA rail lines below.
Elton did present some good news when she stated PennDOT approved the township’s request to keep the light at Radcliffe Street solid green while the bridge is closed.
The township manager said the light will still turn red if a pedestrian is crossing and presses the pedestrian button.
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The Randall Avenue bridge provides a traffic connection between Route 13 and Radcliffe Street and has been in need of work for some time, but the deterioration that alarmed township officials was observed in winter.
The Randall Avenue bridge was built in 1919 and was listed by PennDOT as being in poor condition.
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