Bridge still hanging on as county takes another look

MILFORD n If the Mott Street Bridge gets fixed, someone other than Pike County is going to have to pay for it. “I can’t justify taxing the whole county to pay for a bridge here,” Pike County Commissioners Chairman and Milford resident Harry Forbes told the borough council Monday night. Forbes came to explain why there is no money to fix the 105 year-old bridge, but left saying he would give it another look. Forbes faced tough questions about costs from Milford Township Supervisor Don Quick, whose profession involves restoration of historic ironwork structures. Quick said engineering estimates of repair costs to save the old bridge were unrealistically high. Quick said he might buy the bridge himself and fix it. Forbes said the county has made repeated efforts to find ways to deal with the bridge’s repair since he took office in 1996, including putting the bridge on PennDOT’s 12 year plan. But the bridge does not have traffic impact and the state does not have money, he said. Aside from the cost, Forbes said Mott Street residents have become accustomed to not having through traffic on the street. The county’s engineer, Michael Lamoreaux, estimated a cost of $1 million to reopen the bridge to traffic. Cheaper measures to bolster the structure will not meet state historic standards for restoration. The bridge is on the National Historic Register. The replacement that the county has suggested would have a total cost of some $500,000 and provide pedestrian access and allow emergency ATV traffic, Lamoreaux and Forbes said. Quick said the comparison costs were not an “apples to apples” comparison, but Lamereaux stood by his estimate. “I don’t dispute the deterioration,” that Lamoreaux had detailed, “but 80 to 95 percent of that iron can still be used ... We only have one chance to save it. If the county doesn’t want it, let’s find someone who does ... I’d be happy to work on it,” Quick said. The bridge’s other end is in Dingman Township. Supervisor Tom Mincer was on hand and said Dingman would support whatever the borough decides, but would not provide any money. Forbes asked for suggested alternatives. “I’m trying to sell you a bridge,” he quipped. “If the commissioners don’t want (the bridge), I might well buy it,” Quick replied. “I support historic preservation, but we need a way to get across the glen,” said Councilman Ed Raarup. Forbes said he wants to follow the borough’s wishes and will work on the funding problems some more and return in August. In other business at Monday’s special meeting the council held a public hearing on the next phase of streetscape work planned by the Milford Enhancement Committee and adopted a resolution demanding a retraction of a remark, attributed to Solicitor John Klemeyer, in the Pike County Dispatch coverage of the borough’s architectural review board meeting of May 30.