[yes, normally this is Flimsies material, but the way the Bradford Era is laid out, I'd have to change the links on a regular basis, so here it is:]

State won't rebuild viaduct
By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER / Era Reporter

Citing a lack of funds, Gov. Ed Rendell has decided not to rebuild the Kinzua Viaduct.

"We are not going to rebuild the bridge because it is cost-prohibitive," explained Abe Amoros of the Governor's press office late Tuesday afternoon.

"The decision was made late last week on the senior executive level," he added.

"We simply don't have the $40 million plus to rebuild," Amoros said, "but we will still be making a significant investment in the visitors/interpretive center, stabilizing the remainder of the bridge and the valley floor cleanup."

He explained the parts of the bridge that fell to the floor of the Kinzua Gorge during the tornado July 21 will be cleaned up as part of the plan for the future of the Kinzua Bridge State Park.

In addition, the visitor's center will feature a history of the engineering for the bridge, Amoros explained, and will have "a component that highlights the demise at the hands of Mother Nature."

Work will be done to improve the road and parking lot and to stabilize the remaining nine towers on the bridge.

The intention is to "make the entire project more popular and attractive to the residents of the area," he explained. The governor was recently quoted in area media as having said the bridge "may have more appeal as a tourist attraction in its current state than it did when it was an intact bridge."

Few details about the future of the bridge were available on Tuesday, and even fewer were available as to where the money might come from to pay for the changes and improvements called for at the park.

Amoros did not have any information on the possibility of funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. McKean County was declared a disaster area following the tornado and several heavy storms that swept through the area in July.

FEMA had done a site assessment and was going to make a report to the governor.

The park, as with all state parks, falls under the auspices of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Gretchen Leslie, press secretary for the DCNR, explained that DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis supports the governor's decision.

"The secretary was fully aware of the governor's decision, and he agreed that this is the direction that makes the most sense for the Commonwealth," Leslie reported.

"More information will become available as funding sources are available," she said. She added that the governor's decision has been one of the proposals the DCNR outlined from the start.

The other two proposals were to rebuild or to just leave the bridge as it was left by the tornado.

While the decision was finalized last week, few people had been informed that the viaduct would not be rebuilt.

State Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, was surprised by the news, but said -- realistically -- it was anticipated.

"For economic reasons, I could see it coming," he said. "Forty-five million, that's certainly a lot of money. There's a lot we can do with $45 million.

"We've got a lot of highways that need rebuilt," he said.

He added that he would like more information on the governor's intentions, specifically what is meant by cleaning up the valley floor.

"I think they should leave (the fallen pieces) intact so people can come and look at it," Causer said. "I don't believe they should haul it out of there, no."

Hauling it out would be costly, he surmised, as there are 11 towers -- including the tallest ones on the viaduct -- now on the floor of the Kinzua Gorge.

"I do think we have to continue to urge them to fix up that park," Causer added. "That park is sitting in a beautiful area."

Since the tornado, the Kinzua Bridge Foundation, at www.kinzuabridgeonline.com, has been raising donations for the future of the park.

"That is a shame," president Bill Kilmer said. He had not known of the governor's decision prior to a call from The Era. "That's a piece of history that we hate to lose all together.

"It's really disappointing," he said. "We don't have much of in this area anymore going for us. We've got to have something here in the future."

Speaking about the funds raised since the viaduct fell, Kilmer said, "We do have money put aside to help rebuild the bridge or to do something in the park itself. It can only be used in the Kinzua Bridge State Park."

The foundation has been working on a campaign in the surrounding counties to collect funds for the bridge as well.

"We're going to have to re-address some things," Kilmer said. "We're not going to give up."


The Bradford Era website
LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

Funny how the state came up with $35MM two months ago for Point State Park in the City of Pittsburgh, a glorified city park that surely doesn't attract tourism, but now the state doesn't have the money for Kinzua. Too bad trees don't vote but city Democrats do. (Both the mayor of PGH and the current governor, a former mayor of Philadelphia, belong to the same political party.)

Nothing against Democrats, per se, but you see the politics...

> [yes, normally this is Flimsies material,
> but the way the Bradford Era is laid out,
> I'd have to change the links on a regular
> basis, so here it is:]

> State won't rebuild viaduct
> By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER / Era Reporter

> Citing a lack of funds, Gov. Ed Rendell has
> decided not to rebuild the Kinzua Viaduct.

> "We are not going to rebuild the bridge
> because it is cost-prohibitive,"
> explained Abe Amoros of the Governor's press
> office late Tuesday afternoon.

> "The decision was made late last week
> on the senior executive level," he
> added.

> "We simply don't have the $40 million
> plus to rebuild," Amoros said,
> "but we will still be making a
> significant investment in the
> visitors/interpretive center, stabilizing
> the remainder of the bridge and the valley
> floor cleanup."

> He explained the parts of the bridge that
> fell to the floor of the Kinzua Gorge during
> the tornado July 21 will be cleaned up as
> part of the plan for the future of the
> Kinzua Bridge State Park.

> In addition, the visitor's center will
> feature a history of the engineering for the
> bridge, Amoros explained, and will have
> "a component that highlights the demise
> at the hands of Mother Nature."

> Work will be done to improve the road and
> parking lot and to stabilize the remaining
> nine towers on the bridge.

> The intention is to "make the entire
> project more popular and attractive to the
> residents of the area," he explained.
> The governor was recently quoted in area
> media as having said the bridge "may
> have more appeal as a tourist attraction in
> its current state than it did when it was an
> intact bridge."

> Few details about the future of the bridge
> were available on Tuesday, and even fewer
> were available as to where the money might
> come from to pay for the changes and
> improvements called for at the park.

> Amoros did not have any information on the
> possibility of funding from the Federal
> Emergency Management Agency. McKean County
> was declared a disaster area following the
> tornado and several heavy storms that swept
> through the area in July.

> FEMA had done a site assessment and was
> going to make a report to the governor.

> The park, as with all state parks, falls
> under the auspices of the state Department
> of Conservation and Natural Resources.

> Gretchen Leslie, press secretary for the
> DCNR, explained that DCNR Secretary Michael
> DiBerardinis supports the governor's
> decision.

> "The secretary was fully aware of the
> governor's decision, and he agreed that this
> is the direction that makes the most sense
> for the Commonwealth," Leslie reported.

> "More information will become available
> as funding sources are available," she
> said. She added that the governor's decision
> has been one of the proposals the DCNR
> outlined from the start.

> The other two proposals were to rebuild or
> to just leave the bridge as it was left by
> the tornado.

> While the decision was finalized last week,
> few people had been informed that the
> viaduct would not be rebuilt.

> State Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, was
> surprised by the news, but said --
> realistically -- it was anticipated.

> "For economic reasons, I could see it
> coming," he said. "Forty-five
> million, that's certainly a lot of money.
> There's a lot we can do with $45 million.

> "We've got a lot of highways that need
> rebuilt," he said.

> He added that he would like more information
> on the governor's intentions, specifically
> what is meant by cleaning up the valley
> floor.

> "I think they should leave (the fallen
> pieces) intact so people can come and look
> at it," Causer said. "I don't
> believe they should haul it out of there,
> no."

> Hauling it out would be costly, he surmised,
> as there are 11 towers -- including the
> tallest ones on the viaduct -- now on the
> floor of the Kinzua Gorge.

> "I do think we have to continue to urge
> them to fix up that park," Causer
> added. "That park is sitting in a
> beautiful area."

> Since the tornado, the Kinzua Bridge
> Foundation, at www.kinzuabridgeonline.com,
> has been raising donations for the future of
> the park.

> "That is a shame," president Bill
> Kilmer said. He had not known of the
> governor's decision prior to a call from The
> Era. "That's a piece of history that we
> hate to lose all together.

> "It's really disappointing," he
> said. "We don't have much of in this
> area anymore going for us. We've got to have
> something here in the future."

> Speaking about the funds raised since the
> viaduct fell, Kilmer said, "We do have
> money put aside to help rebuild the bridge
> or to do something in the park itself. It
> can only be used in the Kinzua Bridge State
> Park."

> The foundation has been working on a
> campaign in the surrounding counties to
> collect funds for the bridge as well.

> "We're going to have to re-address some
> things," Kilmer said. "We're not
> going to give up."


nickTAKETHISOUTd@icubed.com

I am interested in railway history and preservation. However, as a taxpayer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I have strong doubts that rebuilding that viaduct for $45M is really a wise use of taxpayer dollars. Yes I know that money is spent on other things that are less worthwhile. However, there are still many things in the Commonwealth that are not adequately funded like transit, highways, schools, you name it. I don't mean to go off topic with the other stuff but you see what the Commonwealth has to look at when deciding whether to fund a project like this. Fo example, do you fund a bridge with a limited purpose or do you pay to rebuild a major highway bridge before it collapses?

The government's money doesn't grow on trees. It comes from you and me. Governments must look at the value of each of the projects they fund -- unless you like paying high taxes. I don't know of a politician that ever won office promising to raise taxes.

Matthew Mummert

mlmummert@suscom.net

> I am interested in railway history and
> preservation. However, as a taxpayer of the
> Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I have strong
> doubts that rebuilding that viaduct for $45M
> is really a wise use of taxpayer dollars.
> Yes I know that money is spent on other
> things that are less worthwhile. However,
> there are still many things in the
> Commonwealth that are not adequately funded
> like transit, highways, schools, you name
> it. I don't mean to go off topic with the
> other stuff but you see what the
> Commonwealth has to look at when deciding
> whether to fund a project like this. Fo
> example, do you fund a bridge with a limited
> purpose or do you pay to rebuild a major
> highway bridge before it collapses?

> The government's money doesn't grow on
> trees. It comes from you and me. Governments
> must look at the value of each of the
> projects they fund -- unless you like paying
> high taxes. I don't know of a politician
> that ever won office promising to raise
> taxes.

> Matthew Mummert

Matthew:

Your argument makes good sense, not only for Pennsylvania but for any state. What is important is that we stabilize what we have NOW, which can be done for a fraction of the cost of a rebuilding. I think particularly of Young's High Bridge in Kentucky but I am sure there are others worthwhile.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

midlandblb@cs.com