Pa. Lawmaker Says His District's Bridge Projects Aren't Getting Enough Attention
By Jim Melwert
LOWER PROVIDENCE, Pa. (CBS) -- A state lawmaker from Montgomery County is wondering why a bridge in Plymouth Township is getting emergency status while a handful of bridge projects in and around his district have dragged on -- in one case for years.
Penndot acting secretary Leslie Richards recently declared emergency status for a bridge in Plymouth Township, announcing plans to reopen it just five months after it closed.
But state representative Mike Vereb calls that "a mockery" and is asking Richards to reprioritize two bridges in his district, both over the Perkiomen Creek.
"The reality of it is, the bridges up here are all involved with the evacuation route of the Limerick nuclear power plant," he said today. "I don't think there's a bigger threat than that."
Vereb says they hope to have the Arcola Road bridge reopened by next spring. It's been closed since summer 2013, causing daily traffic headaches in the area, worsened by the closure of another bridge a few miles upstream.
And, although it's not in his district, he notes the closure until late this year of the Valley Forge Road bridge, in Schuylkill Township, will cause a ripple effect.
