Temporary fix at Pond Eddy bridge

POND EDDY - PennDOT is going to repair the Pond Eddy Bridge, to get its weight limit back to seven tons and allow fire and emergency vehicles to cross. In October, the 102-year-old bridge was down-posted to four tons following an in-depth inspection. “Since then, some service and emergency vehicles have been restricted from crossing the structure,” the agency admitted in a statement. According to Robert Doble, PennDOT’s assistant district executive for design, the contractor, Fahs-Ralston, will begin the repair work on Friday, Dec. 1, and is expected to be finished no later than Friday, Dec. 22. The work will consist of the replacement of fourteen steel beams. The contractor says the work can take place from below the deck, allowing the bridge to remain open. PennDOT says any traffic impacts will be minimal. Once completed, the bridge posting will be restored to seven tons. Should winter weather intervene, before completion, PennDOT will continue to provide winter roadway maintenance services to the Pond Eddy community, the agency said in a Nov. 29 statement. The bridge, which crosses the Delaware and connects to N.Y. State Route 97, is the only outside highway access for more than 20 homes on the Pennsylvania shore. (See related letter on page 10.)