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Motion Expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County urging that Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania General Assembly work with all possible and deliberate speed to secure funding for the refurbishment of two bridges in the Borough of Emsworth, Allegheny County.
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WHEREAS, the Borough of Emsworth is currently struggling with securing funding for refurbishing a pair of its most important bridges, one of which is located on Gibbs Street off of Camp Horne Road, and the other of which is located on Herron Street off of Pennsylvania Route 65; and
WHEREAS, one of these bridges constitutes the only ready access to a residential area, but is constructed with box girders identical to those used in a bridge spanning Interstate 70 that recently collapsed in Washington County, and is so outdated that its weight limit will not accommodate modern fire trucks; and
WHEREAS, this situation will result in a delay of approximately 15 minutes in response time, should fire equipment have to reach the affected residential neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, the Borough of Emsworth is also home to Shaffner Manufacturing, which employs approximately 90 individuals, the world headquarters of ConAir, which employs approximately 200 individuals, and approximately 75,000 square feet of newly remodeled warehouse space that could employ as many as 75 individuals; and
WHEREAS, these three properties comprise a significant portion of the Borough of Emsworth's only commercial and manufacturing properties, and employ a large percentage of the individuals who work in the Borough; and
WHEREAS, these commercial and manufacturing properties are only accessible via the second of the outdated bridges; and
WHEREAS, Shaffner Manufacturing has already indicated that it will be forced to relocate its operations to an existing facility in Mississippi, should the access to their Emsworth property remain in its current condition; and
WHEREAS, these two bridges have been awaiting reconstruction since 1982; and
WHEREAS, at a recent meeting with representatives from PennDOT, the Allegheny County Department of Public Works, United States Senator Arlen Spector, Pensnylvania State Senator John Pippy, United States Representative Melissa Hart, and Pennsylvania State Representative Thomas Petrone, Mayor George Rossi of Emsworth was informed that the best prospect for funding the refurbishment of these two bridges in the near future is from the state's discretionary "spike fund;"
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that the refurbishment of these two bridges constitute priority investments that evidently cannot be funded through routine regional funding allocations and would overwhelm other local resources. Accordingly, the Council of Allegheny County hereby requests that Governor Rendell and the General Assembly work with all possible and deliberate speed to secure funding for the refurbishment of these two bridges, whether via the Commonwealth's "spike fund" or other means.
IT IS HEREBY FURTHER MOVED, that copies of this Motion be transmitted to Governor Rendell and Allegheny County's delegation to the General Assembly.