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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cunningham on Track With Lehigh County Bridge Repairs


We tend to take them for granted. But imagine the horror we would feel if a bridge collapsed from under us. Just two years ago, that's exactly what happened on a Minnesota Interstate bridge, leaving thirteen people dead.

But believe it or not, the Keystone State has the largest number of structurally deficient bridges in the whole dang country. More than one out of every four bridges has problems. There's a pleasant thought for you next time you roll over the Hill to Hill bridge!

Lehigh County Exec Don Cunningham has re-opened four bridges since taking office in 2006. By the end of this year, major repairs will be completed or underway on 17 others, more than one-third of the county’s 47 bridges.

Today, seven humongous support beams (152-foot long, 106-ton) will be plunged into the murky depths as the $6.5 million Linden Street bridge project nears completion in December. You can join Cunningham and watch these beams being hoisted by two 500-ton cranes at 4 PM today.

Cunningham has vowed to throw the last of these beams into place all by himself. "It's just like a caber toss," he tells me.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 13, 2009 at 3:18 AM

    It would be more difficult but maybe he could toss you into the Lehigh River while he is at it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 13, 2009 at 9:22 AM

    Why is Lehigh County paying for bridges? Other counties across the state are getting Fed stimulus money to fix bridges and roads.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bernie O'HareAugust 13, 2009 at 9:37 AM

    Dude, That stim did not exist until recently and most of the grant money does not go for county bridges. I remember something was said ata NC meeting about it. What you say makese sense, but logic and the government have little in common.

    I know that liquid fuwels tax and state money help fund a lot of bridge repairs, but many county bridges are simply too small to qualify for a grant, a least in NC.

    ReplyDelete

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