Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell announced a plan to repair 1,145 bridges across Pennsylvania. The list and a county-by-county map of all the bridges are available on PennDOT’s Web site at www.dot7.state.pa.us/RebuildPA/Main.htm
Rendell has asked the General Assembly to approve this plan which he estimates will require state funding of an additional $200 million a year for three years, to be combined with federal road repair funds. The “structurally deficient” bridges include 91 in Southeastern Pennsylvania including 35 in Bucks County, 26 in Chester County, 15 in Montgomery County, nine in Philadelphia, and six in Delaware County. Most are smaller bridges.
It is unclear at this time whether the General Assembly will approve this project. According to press accounts, Senate Republicans acknowledged repairs were necessary but expressed reluctance to borrow more funds. This issue will likely by an important part of budget negotiations.