Why fixing the roads takes so long

By DAWN McGELLIGOTT

MILFORD, PA — Potholes, deteriorating bridges and low funding were among the issues discussed at the May 19 meeting of the Pike County Road Task Force. Members of the task force meet regularly at the Pike County Administration Building and last week they met with Larry King, PennDOT’s Deputy Secretary for Planning.

Accompanying King was Robert Doble, PennDOT’s Assistant District Executive for Design. Doble pointed out the political wrangling involved in many projects, which impact the progress being made on road improvements.

Regarding Route 739, Doble said that his suggestion of straightening certain curves to enhance safety were not entirely accepted. He had been told by the National Park Service that as a scenic route running through the federally owned Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, it had to remain fairly curvy. After finding a “curvilinear” alternative, the project was completed.

On Routes 6 and 209, Doble mentioned that improvements had been in store for a while, but “there’s been issues with sewer and water.”

Originally, the concept was to make it a three-lane road with “major adjustments at the intersections.” “Unfortunately,” he said, “there is also a lot of development up here.” With that development in mind, those plans are being reconsidered. “That’s a serious issue,” Doble commented, because “widening Routes 6 and 209 is going to be very expensive.”

Doble further explained that residents near the Pond Eddy Bridge expressed concern over the bridge’s deterioration and asked for its replacement, whereas, others interested in the historic nature of the bridge requested that it be restored. Doble said he was sending out letters to invite residents and others to arrange a meeting that will “probably occur this summer.”

“Generally, the bridges are deteriorating at a rate that we cannot keep up with due to a variety of reasons, one of which is the fact that most of them were built 50 or 60 years ago…. Our current budget is around $ 14 million, remembering this covers two counties, Wayne and Pike and it’s going to drop down to $ 10 million based on the current transportation bill,” said Doble. “We do not know what the new bill is going to give us, but we do know that it will give us a little more.”

Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes replied. “They increased it by $11 billion…. Rural counties should not be shortchanged.”

King clarified Forbes’ comment by saying “about 60 percent of the money we spend on roadways and bridges within the Commonwealth comes from federal sources.”

Further, “The U.S. Senate added $11 billion to a previous funding level of $284 billion for the entire nation for six years for highways and bridges. That’s very significant,” he said.

PennDOT Task Force member John Sivick summed up the frustration in the room by commenting as the chairman of the Board of Lehman Township Supervisors. “I’ve got roads that needed to be done for four years… We didn’t cause a problem, yet we’re being told we’re the fastest growing county in the state, but we’re not getting our fair share.”