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Ashland looks to ‘jump bridge’ solution

Ashland Township supervisors plan to replace this cross-under pipe along Spook Hollow Road with a pre-fabricated bridge. The good-quality water flowing through the deteriorating pipe feeds into trout stream waters. The bridge resolves the problem without affecting the water quality. Ashland shares the road with Salem Township, which has previously agreed to help with the project. (Submitted photo)

Posted By: ClarionExtra.com May 30, 2019

By RODNEY L. SHERMAN
Clarion News editor

Ashland Township supervisors will likely move ahead with a “jump bridge” solution to needs along Spook Hollow Road.

Supervisors David Weaver, John Macormac and Floyd Watson agreed this month to order a 25-feet long, 14-feet wide pre-fabricated steel bridge to span a small creek crossing under Spook Hollow Road.

ADM Welding and Manufacturing of Warren would build, deliver and help install the bridge.

The approval is contingent on Salem Township supervisors agreeing to pick up half the cost of the project. Spook Hollow Road connects Ron McHenry Road in Ashland Township with Bittersweet Rod in Salem Township.

The bridge is expected to cost around $21,000 plus about $2,000 to $3,000 for installation.

Ashland and Salem Township officials agreed nearly two years ago to replace a drainage pipe crossing under the road very near the border of the townships.

That pipe carries water to a high-quality trout stream and requires careful planning and execution of replacing the pipe.

While the designation pushes up costs, it also makes the project eligible for dirt and gravel road funding.

Ashland Township supervisors worked with the Clarion County Conservation District’s dirt and gravel road specialist to develop specifications for the project and possible grant funding but due to personnel changes and other priorities, the two townships never finalized a plan.

Since then, the Ashland supervisors developed the plan to use a jump bridge to keep the road open and passable.

Macormac has done most of the research on the bridge and found the total cost of having the pre-fab bridge installed is almost the same as just the permitting and other costs associated with replacing the pipe.

Salem Township supervisors have not discussed the Spook Hollow bridge for several months, but had previously agreed to share the costs of keeping the shared road open.

“If they were OK with the pipe project and its costs, they should be OK with this at a lower cost,” said Macormac.

In other business, Weaver said he would check on a littering incident along Cogley Road.

Weaver said he was alerted to the situation by a state game warden.

Weaver said the dumping involved several bags of trash and garbage.

Watson said some of the trash included potential names of suspects.

According to online court records, state police have charged an individual in connection with the incident.

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