Breaking News
Top News

Lycoming County: Bridge-bundling draws to a close — for time being

By Pat Crossley 3 min read
KATELYN HIBBARD/Sun-Gazette In May 2017, Commissioners Rick Mirabito and Tony Mussare and former Commissioner Jack McKernan attend the inspection of three structurally deficient bridges expected to benefit from the proposed $5 vehicle registration fee, which passed in June that year. Now, almost six years later, the first series of bridge repairs or replacements paid for by that fee is nearing completion.

The final bid for the county's bridge-bundling project was awarded at the Lycoming County commissioners' meeting this week.

The $1.9 million submitted by Kevin E. Raker Construction LLC was approved by the commissioners for three bridges.

The work includes: repair of a bridge on Old Cement Road in Fairfield Township and replacement of bridges on Upper Bodines Road in Lewis Township and Gap Road in Washington Township.

In all, work was done on 17 bridges in the county.

Initially, the commissioners had taken out a $7.2 million Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank (PIB) Loan from the state's Department of Transportation to help fund the program. A $5 per vehicle annual surcharge on vehicle registration fees was enacted to pay back the loan.

With two of the commissioners not seeking re-election and the remaining one being challenged in the primary, Commissioner Tony Mussare noted that it would be up to the incoming commissioners to decide if the bridge-bundling program should be continued.

"We've seen the success of the program. We have a sustainability strategy in place, but that was for ten years," Mussare said.

"I think a conversation has to sooner or later be discussed about how you're going to continue the program," he added.

The planning department has been working on a plan, Commissioner Rick Mirabito said, that would take money other than the $5 fee in order to continue with the program.

"The staff learned from this that it's better to get bridges in the early stages repaired so that municipalities don't just put it off and then it gets to the point where you can't repair it and you just have to replace it," Mirabito said.

The commissioners approved $16,675 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for an agreement with Larson Design Group for the construction of an Educational Pavilion at Lysock View complex.

In other actions, the commissioners approved: an intergovernmental agreement with River Valley Transit Authority for $100,000; an amendment to an agreement with DNA Diagnostic Center, Inc.; a grant and monitoring agreement with STEP, Inc., for $10,000 for 211 project case management; a license agreement with Muncy Borough Municipal Authority to lease space on the water tank at Kellogg's for $500 per year plus fees; the purchase of service agreement with the Chester County Youth Detention for secure services at $400 per day and shelter services at $265 per day; an agreement with JusticeWorks, Youthcare, Inc. for various services; the submission of the Appalachian Regional Commission Area Development program grant application for the Williamsport Sewer Authority industrial corridor utility modernization project in the amount of $500,000 for work on Reach Road; and an extension of the due date for the adoption of the Municipal Waste Plan until Feb. 26, 2024.

The next meeting of the commissioners will be at 10 a.m., May 11, at the Commissioners Board Room, 1st floor Executive Plaza 330 Pine St.

Starting at /week.