New $17 Million Keim Street Bridge Project Outlined

Photos by Evan Brandt

The 749-foot Keim Street bridge over the Schuylkill River was closed in 2010. A $17 million replacement  was the subject of a thinly attended public meeting Wednesday evening.

One might think that after almost 10 years of closure, and ensuing complaints on social media, that details about a replacement might attract some interest, and an audience.

One might think that after running a story previewing that meeting on the front page of The Mercury, a story which is currently the third most read on The Mercury website, that the meeting organizers might have planned for overflow crowds and fire extinguishers for all the torches the angry mob would bring to the meeting.

This was the overflow crowd that showed up to learn more 

about replacing the Keim Street bridge. And let's remember that

most of the suits in the back are officials and engineers.

One would be wrong.

Instead, Matthew I. Hickson, structures project manager for Traffic Planning and Design, spoke to a largely empty room as he outlined the plan for the new structure.

By way of providing the answer to the most-asked question -- "what the f**k is taking so long?" -- he answered succinctly that "the federal government is providing 80 percent of the funding. And the federal rule book is a thick one."

Because the bridge, built in 1935, is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, a deep well of federal bureaucracy had to be filled before plans for a replacement could get underway, Hickson said.

Matthew Hickson, from Traffic Planning and Design, said when its

finished, the new Keim Street bridge will have a traffic signal on

the Pottstown side on Industrial Highway.

First planners had to be determined if the bridge could be rehabilitated and saved.

A little under three years later, it was determined it could not and fulfill the mission of being wider, safer and no longer having a 22-ton weight limit. Besides, it would have been too expensive, he said.

Then it had to be determined if the structure could be used for another purpose, like a pedestrian bridge, and a new bridge built alongside. Again, too expensive. Chalk off another year or two.

Finally, alternatives had to be explored, like building an S-turn bridge that would align the entrance to the bridge with the intersection of South Keim Street and Industrial Highway.

Plans for the new Keim Street bridge.

That turned out to be not only too expensive, but also more likely to worsen flooding because although its just a 100 feet away, that intersection has a five or six feet lower elevation than the current entrance, said Daniel Bitterlich, also from Traffic Planning and Design.

In fact the design of the bridge has only four piers, some of them on a island in the middle of the Schuylkill, fewer than the seven on the current bridge.

Thus with only five spans, each 150-feet long, more water can flow under the bridge, reducing obstructions in the river, which in turn reduces flooding, Hickson explained.

Dealing with government jargon like this took 6 years.

Hickson said the project shortly should be exiting the "Section 106" process, which is the harmless-sounding name for all the historic bridge rigmarole that has has been holding things up, which will also allow for the completion of preliminary phase.

When all was said and done, getting through the "Section 106" process took "close to six years," Hickson said.

Towards the end of this year, the "final design" phase of the bridge can begin. That will take 18 months, putting us into 2021, which is when Hickson said he hoped the project, now estimated to cost about $17 million, can begin construction.

Because of tight quarters on the Pottstown side, construction will require traffic on Industrial Highway to be reduced to one lane.

The temporary traffic signals indicated on this map show how traffic will be controlled through the single lane that will be available during construction of the new Keim Street bridge.

Traffic lights on either side of the bridge entrance will act like flaggers, giving westbound and eastbound drivers, as well as southbound drivers on South Keim Street, their turn to drive by the site.

The existing bridge above, and what the new bridge
will look like, shown below.

When it's complete, the intersection will have a left- and right-turn lane onto the bridge as well as a permanent traffic signal.

As anyone who crossed the bridge before it closed knows, it was wicked narrow, only 20 feet wide curb to curb, with a five-foot sidewalk on the outside of the northern line of steel trusses.

The new bridge will have two 11-foot driving lanes, with two four-foot shoulders, as well as a six-foot sidewalk.

Ahhh, the luxury of wide lanes.

Portions of the Schuylkill River Trail blocking the bridge, which

were just installed last year, will have to be removed when the

new Keim Street bridge is construction.

So far, said Hickson, studies have indicated that although there is a wetland close-by that is a red-bellied turtle habitat, it is far enough away that it will not be disturbed by the bridge construction and thus is unlikely to cause any further delays.

(In 2012, a study of red-bellied turtles had plans for the new $14.5 million Route 345 bridge over the
Schuylkill River between Birdsboro and Exeter moving at a snail's pace.)

But that's not everything.

The project will also have to deal with the fact that the Schuylkill River Trail installed last year along Industrial Highway, and only finally opened last month, has blocked access to the bridge.

PennDOT plans on building a new bridge to carry South Keim Street

over Route 422, located just below the gray area
at the bottom of this map.

And there's even one more wrinkle.

Hickson said PennDOT has plans to also replace the South Keim Street bridge over Route 422, which is just beyond the bridge over the river.

Construction on that may even begin before the river bridge does.

As it is, no firm timeline for construction of the new bridge over the river has been set year, and if experience teaches us nothing else, it teaches us two things.

First, that it will take longer than early estimates predict. And second, that nothing will stop people from complaining about it, even if they can't be bothered to show up at a meeting on the subject.

Bridging the Gap

Talking Trams, Trains and Traffic in Southeast PA

The battery-powered trackless tram, or ART, in operation in Zhuzhou, China, showing the trackless autonomous guidance system, highlighted in last night's presentation by Australian innovation professor Peter Newman.

One way to look at how we do transportation wrong in this country is a simple measurement of space.

Peter Newman, a professor of sustainability at Australia's Curtin University who is in the U.S. for a
visit to the University of Pennsylvania and accepted an invitation to speak in Pottstown Thursday, did it with one slide.

Photos by Evan Brandt
Peter Newman shows how many cars, buses, or "trackless trams"

it takes to transport the same number of people.

He was there at the invitation of state Rep. Joe Cireski, D-146th Dist., who is trying to make good on a campaign promise to search for alternatives to traffic headaches on Route 422.

His research led him to Newman, who, when Ciresi contacted him, informed him he was coming to Pennsylvania and agreed to speak at a forum Ciresi arranged at the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community college Thursday.

Put two people in car, which is a lot to assume among American commuters, and put them with their fellow morning travelers on Route 422 and they will take up a certain amount of space on the roadway, Newman said.

Now multiply that and count 100 cars. That's 200 people and whole lot of roadway filled up. That same number of people could fit on two or three buses or just one "trackless tram."

Newman said trains, because of their fixed routes, attract

development and investment. But they are also expensive to build.

Fewer vehicles, fewer traffic jams.

Simple, right?

For years, we've believed the solution to increasing traffic on our roadways is a return to commuter rail. Newman, who got involved in the issue when he fought to save the train in his hometown of Freemantle, shared that believe and the effort he joined saved the train.

So Newman spent decades advocating for light rail, commuter rail and other similar transportation alternatives to the automobile because of the efficiency, and the other advantages it brings.

Old time trams began as a way to get people to new real estate.

It's ability to move easily and carry the equivalent of eight lanes of traffic makes rail a space saver, energy saver and times saver, he said.

Rail also attracts development, particularly near its stations. In fact, he said, the original train and trolley lines were primarily real estate investment attractions.

"Good public transit services unlocks the value of the land," Newman explained.

State Rep. Joe Ciresi talks about the need to break the 

transportation gridlock that is hampering redevelopment 

in the greater Pottstown area.

The problem with rail, it is expensive.

Very expensive, as those of us who watched with sagging expectations as the cost estimates for the proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro system rose out of reach know only too well.

So maybe it's time to start looking elsewhere, Ciresi said.

"There is not a person here who disagrees that putting a train back on tracks would be a great solution," he said pointing toward one of the two sets of freight rail tracks that run through Pottstown and were once the provenance of the competing Reading and Pennsylvania railroads.

"But we can't wait any longer," he said.

So if traffic is terrible and trains are too expensive, what do you do? 

How about something that runs on existing roads, but has the advantages of rail by having fixed stations and a fixed route that has the flexibility to be changed with the need arises?

Entrepreneur Richard Branson just purchased the newly built

Brightline light rail line in Florida and wants to build more.

And how about we make it electric, to reduce greenhouses gases, and maybe even make it solar-powered, to reduce them even more?

And what it was significantly cheaper than traditional light rail and, some might say best of all, is initiated by private capital that partners with local governments to tie redevelopment to a new and efficient transit system?

If you said that sounds like a "trackless tram," then you might be a professor from Austrailia, because that's what Newman described that is being pioneered now in China, India and, if he has his way, down under in Australia as well.

Having the entire enterprise spearheaded by entrepreneurs cuts through government bureaucracy and inertia, and entrepreneurs no less famous that Richard Branson are seeing the value, said Newman.

He said Branson just bought the recently completed Brightline rail line in Florida, and he wants to build more rail lines because there is money to be made in the real estate development that accompanies it.

"This won't work unless you guys are behind it," Newman told

the roughly 75 people who came to hear him speak Thursday.

He said public support is what brought light rail to Portland, Ore.

and started a worldwide return to automotive alternatives.

The systems work on roads, have a carrying capacity in the hundreds and three cars and a station only costs about $3 million, said Newman. He said the projects can be bid so that the equipment is built locally to bring jobs to the area.

And existing businesses need to bring workers to the area, said Cassandra Morabito, director of human resources for the Topos Mondial Corp., which designs, engineers and manufactures bakery equipment of all types here in Pottstown.

"We need workers," Morabito said after the presentation. "We have trained workers who can't get to Pottstown. We need skilled tradespeople, electricians, welders, mechanics."

Added Morabito, "we have an aging workforce and no influx of young people. We need to get a younger generation to the jobs we have," she said, noting that the company employs about 30 people.

Ciresi said he is looking for solutions. "It may be this, it may be something else. If 1,000 people use this, that's 1,000 cars off Route 422. I would hope for 5,000. Why don't we let this region be the place where it gets tested?" he said.

Borough Council President Dan Weand, who attended the talk with fellow councilwoman Trenita Lindsay, said the two felt sure they could convince the rest of council to support making Pottstown the place where the trackless tram is test driven.

"The main thing to do is give it a try and take it step, by step," Newman said.

Here are my Tweets from the talk.

Trackless Trams, Trains and Automobiles

On the (Re-Paved) Road to Higher Water Rates

One could be forgiven for believing most matters of discussion at a water and sewer authority have to do with matters of water and sewage.

And to be sure, they do.

In that particular vein, the authority board unanimously (absent David Renn) officially approved the 14 percent hike in water and sewer rates that it tentatively approved in May.

The average household will pay about $35 more per year for water as the result of the vote.

The increase will generate additional revenues of $350,000 in 2017 and about $700,000 when the new fees have been in place for a full year by the end of 2018, according to Robert Plenderleith, the borough’s utilities administrator.

Much of that will go into the authority’s capital budget, which is being used according to a regularly updated five-year plan to repair and replace aging infrastructure in a water and sewer system now nearly 100 years old.

Repairs to that aging infrastructure -- and in particular the re-paving of the streets once that infrastructure is in place -- was of particular concern during Tuesday's authority board meeting.

Member Tom Carroll confirmed that when the authority re-paves a borough street after pipe work has been done, it is done "curb to curb."

Public Works Director Doug Yerger also said that when borough roads are re-paved from the liquid fuels fund simply because it needs it, it too is re-paved from curb to curb.

But if drivers of High Street were hoping for the same treatment, they will be disappointed. The $4 million water line re-placement that began last year and will continue on Aug. 2, when connections along Washington, Adams and Bailey streets will begin.

As engineer Tom Weld explained, because High Street is owned by the state, the curb-to-curb rule does not apply, so only the northern side of the street will be re-paved.

The final paving schedule for High Street will "hopefully" be finalized by the end of the month, according to Yerger.

As for keeping those streets clean, that's not happening any more.

Also under Carroll's questioning, Borougth (and authority) Manager Mark Flanders confirmed the last three years of annual street sweeping was paid through a $500,000 settlement with the Pottstown Landfill several years ago in exchange for treating the closed landfill's dwindling leachate run-off.

But after using some of the money to buy the trademark blue recycling containers, the rest went toward removing the 160 to 212 tons of grit off the streets each year.

"But that money is now exhausted," said Flanders. To pay for more street sweeping would require something else not being paid for.

Carroll offered the opinion that dirty streets keep "the kind of people we want to attract" from buying homes in the borough, and instead leads to residents who "don't care."

"I take pride in the upkeep of my house," said Carroll. "Seeing what's going on in other towns, if I could sell my house and get out of this town I would because I am tired of looking at the filth."

On that happy note, here are the Tweets from last night's borough authority meeting.

Bridges and Murals and Fires Oh My!

If you're interested in backyard fires, large murals or new bridges, Pottstown Borough Council was the place to be Monday night.

PennDOT held a public hearing on the $3.5 million plan to replace the King Street bridge over Manatawny Creek.

The bridge, built in 1957 carries about 9,000 vehicles per day and its structurally deficient.

Work is slated to begin after July 4, 2019.

Yes, you read that right, it's still two years away.

As for the backyard fire pits and such, council approved that ordinance change unanimously, despite the objection of Michelle Chasin, who said the smoke is dangerous and she has had problems with her neighbor's fire pit.

Two other residents spoke out in favor of it.

The vote on the new mural ordinance was not unanimous. Councilman Dennis Arms remained opposed, saying the requirements that a maintenance agreement be secured before a permit is issued is needless.

It was a pretty quick meeting overall, as the Tweets below will show.

Road Work, Park Contest and a 'Respectful' Refusal

Photo by Evan Brandt

This sign at the park and ballfield at the township building explains 

how people can help the township win $10,000 to make improvements.

Wednesday night's meeting of the board of commissioners was quick but fruitful.

As the headline suggests, several items related to driving were dealt with and the Pottstown Area Heath and Wellness Foundation's parks contest was outlined as well.

To the roads -- the commissioners voted to remove the High Street traffic light at Flagg Lane.

Necessary when workers were pouring out of the Flagg Brass plant at the end of their shift, the light now serves no real purpose.

Township Manager Ed Whetstone said it took PennDOT months to produce a 64-page report to approve the removal of the signal.

Township Solicitor Lee Mescolotto joked that "it only took a five-page report to put in in the first place."

Whetstone also reported that turning lanes will be added to High Street at the Grosstown Road intersection, the site of many recent accidents, by the end of October. Also, the flashing lights at West Pottsgrove Elementary School have been installed and will be active shortly, and plans are underway to to work on the Grosstown Road bridge over the Manatawny next year.

Whetstone also reported that the Gambone organization has plans to develop the 20 acres opposite Upland Square, including a hotel, big box store, restaurant and gas station.

Commissioner Charles Valentine outlined the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation parks contest works and urged residents to visit the park near the township building and vote using their smart phones to have a chance at the $10,000 first prize, to be used to improve the park.

And finally, Whetstone read a letter from Pottstown Borough Council President Stephen Toroney 'respectfully' refusing the request from the Lower, Upper and West Pottsgrove commissioners seeking one seat on the Pottstown Borough Authority.

"This is not the end of this," Whetstone said.

Without further ado, here are the Tweets from the meeting. As always, connectivity was a problem, so there might not be as many as you're used to .... but perhaps that's a blessing.

Of Bridges and Highway Garages

If there was a word to describe what was discussed at the Douglass (Mont.) Supervisors meeting Monday night, that word would be "infrastructure."

To be sure, it was not a long meeting, 30 minutes by my count, but during that time they managed to discuss the replacement of the County Line Road bridge over Swamp Creep -- for which they've been awarded a $595,500 grant (minus their $118,000 contribution); taking over the Henry Road bridge from the county; and beginning the process of replacing the "disgusting" highway garage on Municipal Drive.

The board also discussed PennDOT's plans to re-pave Route 100 from Farmington Avenue to the Berks County line.

The only other subject of discussion that merits note here is the second meeting of the newly formed Emergency Services Board.

It intends to seek more funding for the services of the Gilbertsville Ambulance Company from New Hanover Township, as well as pursue an ordinance that will require insurance companies to reimburse the fire companies for the cost of responding to motor vehicle accidents.

Here are the Tweets from the meeting.

A Day for the Dollar in Lower Pottsgrove

Photo by Evan Brandt

An artist's representation of what the Family Dollar store being propose for the vacant lot on the south side of High Street of Pleasantview Road would look like.

Another day another municipal meeting.

Thursday night it was the Lower Pottsgrove Township Commissioners who discussed topics ranging
from a proposal to put a Family Dollar store at the site of the former Rite Aid; to a new space-age coordinated system for controlling traffic lights throughout the greater Pottstown area; to discussing the Pottstown Regional Plibrary budget and appointing a new member of the township planning commission.

As always, I will remind readers to click the blue "read more" bar to make sure you see the Tweets.

A Trail Leads to Recognition

Stephen P. Pohowsky, left, with his award and Kurt Zwikl, executive director

of the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area in Pottstown.

A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation employee recently earned a 2013 National Trails Award from American Trails for his work improving trail user safety on several Pennsylvania trails, including the Schuylkill River Trail.

Stephen P. Pohowsky was recognized with a State Trail Worker Award, which is a category in the National Trails Awards presented annually by American Trails. He was nominated for the honor by Schuylkill River Heritage Area Trail Projects Manager Robert Folwell.

Pohowsky is a Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator and Safety Program Specialist for PennDOT District 5-0, which encompasses the counties of Berks, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Carbon, Northampton and Monroe. He received the award in recognition of "his extraordinary contribution to improving trail user safety at state highway crossings within District 5-0."

According to Folwell, Pohowksy is an avid trail user who uses "his trail riding

experience as well as his extensive knowledge of PennDOT highway safety issues to effectively evaluate all trail crossing plans to determine what works best, and has developed model guidelines for District 5 that will save lives."

Plans for the connection of the Schuylkill River Trail between Phoenixville and Pottstown.

In accepting the award Pohowsky thanked the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and American Trails. He observed that he had worked to foster better communication between PennDOT and the trail building community. He also spoke about the value of trails to local communities.

"We are fortunate to be located in an area of the state with a large expanse of both canal and rail trails, thanks to the former anthracite coal industry. These trails are not just a portal to our past, but also a pathway to our future,” Pohowsky said. “I look forward to continuing to work with our partners to make our trails a source of pride, an asset to their communities, and a fine example of what we can accomplish together."

American Trails, which sponsors the annual National Trails Awards, is a national, non-profit organization that works on behalf of all trails. Awards are offered in a number of categories, including the State Trail Worker Awards, which recognize one individual in each state “who has demonstrated outstanding contributions and consistent support for trail planning, development, or maintenance in either the private or public sector.”

Awards were presented at a symposium last month that took place in Arizona. Since Pohowsky was unable to attend that event, his award was presented to him by Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl at a recent PennDOT event.

The Moving Voter ID Target

Blogger's Note: The never-ending evolution of how to get a voter ID card in Pennsy continues, miraculously right after the PA Supreme Court said the law should be voided for the next election if it is determined its too difficult to get an ID. The following is the latest from PennDOT.

The Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation and State today announced voters can choose to receive either secure PennDOT IDs, or Department of State voting-only ID cards, when visiting a PennDOT driver license center to obtain photo ID to vote under the state’s new voter ID law. 

The agencies also announced that, in order to get the DOS voter ID card, an individual need only give his name, date of birth, social security number, and address; however, proof of residence is not required.

PennDOT will then, while the individual is at the driver license center, confirm with the Department of State that the applicant is a registered voter. Upon confirmation, the applicant will get a DOS voter ID card.

If an applicant’s voter registration or information cannot be confirmed while he is at PennDOT, that applicant will not have to return to PennDOT to get the other ID card once the voter registration or information is confirmed. The Department of State will mail the voter ID card to the applicant.

“We believe these updates to our process will meet the Supreme Court standard that voter ID cards be liberally accessible,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele said.

Carol Aichele

Aichele said the two state agencies agreed to modify the process for all voters to be able to receive the DOS voter ID card following the state Supreme Court’s remanding the lawsuit challenging the law to Commonwealth Court.

The Supreme Court’s decision questioned whether the agencies’ attempt to qualify applicants for a secure PennDOT ID before offering the DOS voter card was consistent with the General Assembly’s intent to provide liberal access to an acceptable voter ID card.

“It’s important to note that anyone who qualifies for a secure PennDOT ID, which unlike the DOS voting-only ID card, is good for general identification purposes, may still get a PennDOT ID free of charge with the proper documentation,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch.

Information on the voter ID law is available at www.votesPA.com, or by calling 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772).

Roadside Clean-up Begins Tomorrow

Blogger's Note: Brought to you courtesy of a posting on the Hopewell Big Woods Facebook page.

Time for a roadside Spring clean-up

PennDOT is seeking volunteers for this year’s Great American Cleanup of PA, which begins March 1 and runs through May 31.

“Cleanup events like this have been a great success in improving the quality of life for Pennsylvanians by creating cleaner roadsides and communities,” said Secretary Barry Schoch. “Many dedicated residents return year after year to show their support, and I encourage more Pennsylvanians to show pride in our state through these great opportunities.”

(Hmmm yes, great opportunity to do something for free that PennDOT normally pays people to do. Who writes these quotes?)

Interested volunteers can find a listing of cleanup events, resources for organizing a cleanup group and other information at the Great American Cleanup of PA website.

Many of PennDOT’s 7,100 Adopt-A-Highway groups, who collect trash year-round, also join in this event.

Visit the PennDOT website and click on “PennDOT near you” for the phone number of the nearest PennDOT District Office to sign up for Adopt-A-Highway.

(Here's the direct link. And here's the phone number for District 6: (610) 205-6700, it's not easy to find on their web site.)

Last year, more than 159,000 volunteers collected 7 million pounds of trash from 13,140 miles of roads, trails and shorelines during the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania. Additionally, PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway volunteers picked up more than 3.5 million pounds of trash along more than 10,000 miles of roadway during the cleanup event last year.

PennDOT provides gloves, trash bags and safety vests to cleanup volunteers.