The state classifies 18 bridges in Clarion County as being in “poor” condition — seven spans owned and being the responsibility of the commonwealth; 11 municipal-owned bridges and being the responsibility of the township in which they are located.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says on its website that it is responsible for ensuring the nearly 32,000 bridges in the state are inspected according to state and federal regulations.
About 25,000 bridges are owned by the state. Inspections are done by PennDOT employees and consultants who are certified bridge safety inspectors.
Clarion County has 257 bridges subject to inspection — 208 state-owned spans and 49 municipal-owned bridges.
Overall, 54 state-owned bridges are rated as being in good condition, 147 in fair condition and seven in poor condition.
At the municipal level, 16 bridges are considered in good condition, 22 in fair condition and 11 in poor condition.
Bridge conditions are making news lately after the Jan. 28 collapse of the Fern Hollow bridge in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park.
Closer to home, bridge conditions are driving an effort by PennDOT to charge tolls on motorists crossing selected Interstate 80 bridges in Beaver Township, Clarion County, and bridges crossing North Fork Creek, Jefferson County.
“Our bridges are on regularly-scheduled inspection schedules that will continue to be maintained,” said Christina Gibbs, PennDOT community relations coordinator for District 10, which includes Clarion County.
“When a bridge is deemed poor, it does not mean the bridge is failing. Bridge condition is determined by the lowest condition rating of the primary components of a bridge or culvert — the lowest condition rating of the deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert.”
“This can range from every two years to six months or less for bridges with a poor condition rating,” she said.
Based on PennDOT information as of Monday, the I-80 arch culvert bridges known as “Thompson Hill,” both eastbound and westbound, over a tributary to Canoe Creek in Beaver Township, are classified as being in poor condition based on the culvert conditions. The bridges are 17-foot-long, cast-concrete spans built in 1966.
Also classified as in poor condition are the I-80 eastbound and westbound bridges over Boyd Run in Beaver Township. The bridges are 16-foot-long, cast-concrete arch culvert spans built in 1966.
Of the two I-80 bridges targeted for tolling over Canoe Creek in Beaver Township, the westbound bridge is classified as in poor condition. The “super-structure” of the steel girder, 1,090-foot-long bridge puts it in the poor ranking.
The bridges over Canoe Creek are scheduled for replacement beginning in 2023. The other state-owned bridges rated as poor in Clarion County are not currently scheduled for replacement.
The state has four other bridges ranking “poor” in Clarion County — two each in Farmington and Knox townships.
In Farmington Township, the Lickingville No. 2 (built in 1960) and the Tylersburg No. 2 (built in 1934), both along State Route 4004, over water leading Licking Creek or the creek itself are graded in poor condition. The culvert condition of the Lickingville bridge is graded poor while the structure of the Tylersburg bridge is poor.
In Knox Township, Hueffner Bridge over Mahles Run along State Route 4008 is ranked poor based on poor culvert condition.
Also in Knox Township, Little Paint Bridge over Little Paint Creek along State Route 4029 is ranked poor based on poor culvert condition.
The remainder of the “poor” condition bridges in Clarion County belong to townships. Future plans for those township-owned bridges vary from municipality to municipality.