Blair County commissioners seek height allowance for Juniata Eighth Street bridge

Commissioners ask PUC to consider shorter height for Eighth Street span

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Blair County commissioners will ask the public utility commission to consider allowing a shorter height for the Juniata Eighth Street Bridge due to the costs involved with replacing not only that bridge but two others in the three-bridge span.

Commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke approved a motion to send a letter of engagement from Blair County to HMS Legal in Harrisburg for "legal services and advice regarding a bridge repair/replacement dispute with Norfolk Southern." Commissioner David Kessling was absent.

"That's the filing with the Public Utility Commission," Burke said. "I'm not sure that the dispute is really with Norfolk Southern. The reason it's worded that way, I'm not sure."

Chief Clerk/County Administrator Alicia Tiracave said HMS Legal would be filing a petition with the Public Utility Commission regarding the Juniata Eighth Street bridge.

Webster added that the agenda item was "more of a request for consideration of a shorter height."

Following the meeting, Burke explained that Norfolk Southern has a 24-foot height requirement for bridges spanning railways. Currently, the Juniata Eighth Street Bridge is 20 feet. She said if the bridge's height had to be raised, the grade to ascend and descend the bridge would be "incredibly steep" and it would therefore have to be extended on either side.

Burke said there are homes on one side of the bridge and businesses on the other whose road access would be cut off by a bridge extension.

Webster emphasized the issue, adding the county would basically be condemning those buildings if the project were to move forward.

While the height requirement only applies to the Juniata Eighth Street Bridge, Burke said any work done would ultimately affect the two other bridges included in the three-bridge series on North Eighth Street between North Fourth Avenue in Juniata and Old Sixth Avenue Road in Logan Township.

The county recently posted weight restrictions for the middle bridge after an annual inspection by PennDOT identified the bridges as a potential funding issue due to deterioration on the mainline bridge of the beam ends that rest on the piers to support the infrastructure.

Webster said raising and extending the bridge would take the project from costing a couple million dollars to at least $30 million.

Blair County has hired a consultant to study the issue and the county is in discussions with Norfolk Southern and the Public Utility Commission "to define the overall scope of the project moving forward," PennDOT spokesman Jay Knarr wrote in an email.

In other matters, Burke said the Blair County Trail Recreation Authority was seeking a new executive director "and they asked us to share that information with the public."

"It is not a Blair County employee position," Burke said. "They are an employee of the authority, but they asked for some help getting the word out."

Burke said the county was also looking for several members to fill seats on the social services advisory board and that individuals could apply by filling out a talent bank application.

"I know we recently made the announcement that we were seeking new people, but specifically social services needs several members," Burke said.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.