May 25, 2007 - The Morning Call

Sites announced for new Thorpe bridge

PennDOT officials present residents with 3 options for span.

By Sarah Fulton Special to The Morning Call

About 200 Jim Thorpe residents turned out Thursday for a meeting on the state Department of Transportation's plan to replace a key bridge linking the two sides of the borough.

Marc Radell, an engineer working on the project, gave a presentation detailing the three sites the state is considering for the new Route 903 bridge, which would connect the east and west sides of the town.

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Of the three sites, PennDOT officials favor the design that would connect the new bridge directly to North Street, eliminating two dogleg turns motorists must now make when leaving the west side of Jim Thorpe to proceed north on Route 903. The favored site is about 900 feet upstream of the existing bridge.

''That's the most efficient and safest traffic flow,'' Radell said.

Engineers also have two other sites under consideration. One is slightly downstream of the existing bridge. It would send traffic across the Lehigh River to the area of the Jim Thorpe Market. The site could have an impact on the railroad lines running along the river. The other location is a few hundred feet upstream of the existing bridge and could have a negative impact on historic Twining Park.

Both sites would force motorists to make a 90-degree turn at the east end of the bridge, leaving the same basic traffic pattern in place.

PennDOT officials said the final site has not yet been chosen and public input would be taken into consideration. The project is estimated to cost $12 million to $13 million.

The new bridge would contain a Route 903 northbound lane, a southbound right-turn lane for motorists heading to Nesquehoning and a southbound left-turn lane for traffic going to downtown Jim Thorpe. A sidewalk would be included.

The structure would take about three years to design and two years to build, setting the tentative completion date in 2012. The old bridge is a 54-year-old steel and concrete structure that, while still safe, does not meet new state standards for construction.

''It's something that has to be replaced,'' said state Rep. Keith McCall, D-Carbon. As the former Transportation Committee chair, McCall was instrumental in making the project a priority for PennDOT.

''It's now a matter of expediting the process so we can get the bridge built as soon as possible,'' McCall said.

Residents did not complain about the project, and many are anxious to have the work begin. Radell officials said there would be no traffic detours during construction. The old bridge would be demolished after the new one is built.

The new bridge would require some right-of-way acquisition. If PennDOT chooses the favored location, 17 properties would be impacted and six homes would be acquired. Specific addresses have not been identified. Radell said homeowners would be compensated according to fair market property values.

Residents are urged to submit written comments to PennDOT using McCall's Web site, http://www.pahouse.com/mccall .

Sarah Fulton is a freelance writer.