Gov. Rendell sells his infrastructure repair plan in northeastern Pa.

WILKES-BARRE - If you want to fix sagging bridges and failing roads, it’s going to take higher fuel prices and a deal to lease the turnpike. Gov. Ed Rendell ventured to northeastern Pennsylvania last Thursday in the last stop of a seven-city bus tour, to seek support for his plan for solving Pennsylvania’s crisis in transportation funding. Rendell has two proposals to generate the $1.7 billion in needs identified by the bipartisan Transportation Funding and Reform Commission: • Leasing the turnpike to generate $965 million a year for highways and bridges. • Imposing a 6.17 percent tax on the skyrocketing profits of oil corporations to provide $760 million a year for public transit. Most observers belief an oil profits tax will be passed on to consumers in higher prices for gasoline and home heating fuels. Mass transit authorities in many cities also face service cuts or fare increases if a dedicated funding source is not found by July 1. “For too long, the public debate has been about choosing between funding transit or highways and bridges. It has pitted region against region, and Democrats against Republicans. On transportation funding, the time has come to put aside special interests in favor of the common interest.” There are 36 structurally-deficient structures in Pike County. Of them, the following four are on the state’s schedule for replacement. • Route 1005 - Twin Lakes Rd. bridge over Shohola Creek; approximate cost $800,000. Work anticipated to start in October 2007. • Route 1011 - Pond Eddy replacement - The structure is a historic resource and PennDOT is currently proceeding through various requirements of the historic resources process. This will take approximately one year to complete and gain environmental clearance. PennDOT anticipates beginning the right-of-way process in mid-2008 and to bid the project in 2009. PennDOT is also actively seeking a party to acquire the historic Pond Eddy bridge. • Route 2006 - Log Tavern Rd., the bridge over Dwarfkill Creek 1 of 2, approximate cost is $800,000. Work anticipated in February 2008. • Route 402 - Bridge over Blooming Grove Creek, Milford-Bushkill #2, approximate cost is $800,000. Work anticipated to start in October 2007.