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Norfolk Southern bridge removal plans underway

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MARIANNA – Plans are underway for the removal of two unused Norfolk Southern railroad bridges over roads in West Bethlehem Township, aging structures that interfere with large vehicles passing under them.

The railroad is before the state’s Public Utilities Commission on the plans to remove the bridges over Kefover and Marianna-Lone Pine roads after the township and borough have been working for years to have them dismantled, said Bob Mercante, chairman of West Bethlehem supervisors.

“The farmers can’t go under the one on Kefover and have to travel miles to detour,” Mercante said.

He said the other bridge is above a sharp S curve along Marianna-Lone Pine Road, causing large trucks to also follow long detours to deliver goods to the area.

The PUC issued a notice May 26 to Norfolk Southern to conduct a full inspection of the Marianna-Lone Pine bridge and its abutments, to be completed and submitted within 60 days, commission spokesman Nils Hagen-Frederiksen said.

“A short time later, PUC received a request from NS to remove the superstructure of the bridge, following an incident where a vehicle struck the bridge,” Hagen-Frederiksen said.

The commission has yet to reach an agreement with the state Department of Transportation regarding concerns about the bridge-removal work. PennDOT wants to realign the road to straighten it.

The PUC on June 2 issued a notice allowing the railroad to remove the bridge, remove unstable concrete, inspect the abutments and install chain-link fencing for safety reasons. That work is expected to be completed in mid-July, while discussions about the possible realignment of the road continues, Hagen-Frederiksen said.

As for Kefover Road, the PUC approved West Bethlehem’s application to remove that bridge, and the railroad will remove it and install fencing before the end of the year, he said.

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