Railroad Bridge Demolition to Start Next Week

The railroad bridge was severely damaged during last month's flood. (Llew Wenzel Studios)

Demolition of the flood-damaged Loyalsock Creek Bridge could start as early as next week (October 17-21).  Located between Montoursville and Williamsport, the 84-year old bridge was heavily damaged in flooding from Tropical Storm Lee.  The SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) has awarded a contract for demolition to Lycoming Supply, Inc., Williamsport.

The Rail Authority has moved aggressively to remove the damaged structure.  Within a week after the flood it had instructed John Conrad, P.E., its bridge engineer, to develop bid specifications and secure demolition proposals.  Four bids were submitted on September 29 and studied carefully.  Of the four companies which submitted bids, Lycoming Supply’s was the lowest.  The JRA awarded the contract at a special meeting the next day.

The Joint Rail Authority has decided to donate concrete rubble from the bridge, deemed as “clean fill,” to Montoursville Borough.  It will be disposed of in the washout of Mill Street, a quarter mile downstream from the bridge.   

Even as the demolition project begins, the JRA is moving just as quickly to construct a new bridge, which had been scheduled for 2014.  That has been moved up to 2012.  Conrad is preparing a preliminary budget, which will be forthcoming in the next week or so.  Plans and specifications for a new structure should be ready for competitive bidding early in 2012.

The cost of a new bridge is estimated at $8.5 million.  It would primarily be funded through federal and state sources including the Pennsylvania Capital Budget/Rail Freight Assistance Program, and a JRA loan through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank, a PennDOT program.