Unity bridge closure to become permanent with PUC approval
A Unity Township bridge that has been closed for the better part of a year because of safety concerns will remain so, under a new agreement the township supervisors reached with Norfolk Southern Railway.
Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay for removing the bridge that once carried Buffenmeyer Road over the rail line between Greensburg and Latrobe, township Solicitor Gary Falatovich said. Unity officials have noted the rail company has been responsible for maintenance of the span.
According to supervisors Chairman John Mylant, the township closed the bridge at the end of April, at the request of Norfolk Southern, after an inspection indicated it was no longer safe for vehicles to use. About a year earlier, the bridge had been posted for a 3-ton weight limit.
The township checked with Buffenmeyer residents concerning the bridge closure, Falatovich said.
“Nobody who lives in that area seems like they have much of a problem at all,” he said. “I think, to some extent, they appreciate it being closed,” eliminating unwanted through-traffic.
Cul-de-sacs will be constructed on the road so that traffic can turn around on either side of the closed bridge, which may trigger some utility line relocations, according to Falatovich. The bridge removal won’t affect a sanitary sewer line extension along Buffenmeyer that will serve businesses along Donohoe Road, he said.
Buffenmeyer is a relatively short road that had connected Donohoe Road with Carney and Trongo roads.
In another agreement between the same entities, the township is set to take over ongoing maintenance of the Saint Vincent High Bridge, which carries Saint Vincent Drive over the Norfolk Southern tracks.
Falatovich said the railway will contribute $275,000 toward the maintenance costs. Completed in 2010, the two-lane, 230-foot-long bridge replaced a one-lane span the Pennsylvania Railroad built in 1890.
“The bridge was designed very sturdily,” Falatovich said of the replacement, noting it has an expected remaining lifespan of about 60 years.
Both agreements are subject to approval by the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, he said.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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