The Bradford City Water Authority plans to build a new pedestrian bridge over the Gilbert Reservoir spillway and remove a center pier already there.
At Wednesday’s authority meeting, Executive Director Steve Disney gave a summary detail of the proposed project, and the board approved the design and engineering concept for it.
According to the authority, the plans calls for a 90-foot long, 5-foot wide pre-fabricated steel truss bridge. It would be made of a weathering steel that never needs to be painted or refinished, and the foundations will be reinforced concrete spread footings.
The new bridge deck will be about four feet higher than the current top of the dam, so ADA accessible ramps will need to be built at both ends of the bridge.
GAI Consultants of Pittsburgh — the consulting engineers for the project — will send a design and engineering package to the Department of Dam Safety in Harrisburg, and once the design is approved, the bid specification package can be sent for bid.
The authority hopes to complete the project by the end of 2018.
Disney gave updates on two other ongoing projects: a repair at the Marilla outlet channel and replacement of some valves in the water system.
He said contracts are being drawn up with Mortimers Excavating Inc. of Pulaski, and a work schedule will be developed once the contract is in place. The 12 new gate valves will be installed in areas where authority employees have had difficult securing an efficient positive shutdown.
Regarding the Marilla outlet channel repair, Disney reported that Dean Construction of Smethport is scheduled to being work later this summer on the $42,300 project. The repairs are necessary because several gabion baskets in the outlet channel became dislodged due to heavy rains.
At the watershed, all gates to authority timber roads will be open by Friday.
The gates have been closed to keep the roads from being damaged during periods of weather that alternated from cold to warm.
The authority also approved replacement of a pick-up truck that is experiencing engine problems. The 2008 Ford F-350 is being looked at to determine how serious the problem is before the authority decides how to proceed.
