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Centre Daily Times May 20 2005
Bellefonte sets sights on bridge
By Lara Brenckle; lbrenckl@centredaily.com
"Psst. You wanna buy a bridge?
It's not a joke.
The state Department of Transportation is offering buyers across the country the chance to purchase Penns Creek Bridge, and among those considering the offer is Bellefonte, which would like to bring the Victorian-era span to its waterfront district.
The 1886 single-lane iron truss bridge spans Penns Creek. It was built by the Columbia Bridge Works of Dayton, Ohio.
The bridge, which is 93 feet long, is slated for removal by PennDOT because its ability to carry heavy traffic has been reduced, according to Sue Hannegan, Bellefonte's assistant borough manager and preservation coordinator.
Hannegan said the borough would be interested in either accepting it as a gift or purchasing the bridge to connect Reynolds Avenue Park to the American Philatelic Society -- something that is consistent with the borough's waterfront district plan of linking points of interest along Spring Creek.
This week, Borough Council gave staff permission to draft a letter of interest to PennDOT and further investigate bringing the bridge to Bellefonte.
Still, Hannegan said, there is a lot of homework to be done.
Moving a bridge not only requires extensive permitting, but because of the bridge's historic nature, accepting it means maintaining and preserving it according to Department of Interior standards for rehabilitation -- the same as used in the borough's historic district.
In addition, the borough is waiting to hear whether its grant application to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to obtain money for the purchase of Reynolds Avenue Park was accepted.
Should the borough not obtain the funding, Hannegan said the council probably would be interested in purchasing a bridge to connect two private entities.
There is a great deal of work to be done on the bridge beyond moving it.
Should the borough bring it to the location spanning Logan Branch, the bridge would need to be dismantled, transported, reassembled and a foundation poured. Missing pieces would have to be recreated with historical accuracy, safety features installed and, because of a significant height difference between the park land and the APS, Hannegan said it might be necessary to install a ramp on the park side to make it compliant with provisions of the Americans with Disability Act.
"This is not something (we) can take lightly," Hannegan said. "But we're hopeful that if we can work cooperatively, it will be a win-win for everybody."
Lara Brenckle can be reached at 235-3902."
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