Bucktail Bridge Project Hits a Roadblock; Chapman Township Looking for $400,000

FARWELL- Repairs began to the Bucktail Bridge serving the Bucktail school complex in July but unforeseen problems prevented project completion in time for this week’s start of school. That means school busses cannot use the bridge as easy access to reach Renovo Elementary School and Bucktail High School, but instead must wend their way through Farwell.

The bridge is owned by Chapman Township and, since the start of school earlier this week, township staffers, from the supervisors on down, have been pressed into service directing traffic through the village for the detour at the start and end of each school day. Busses have to traverse a railroad crossing and several narrow streets until repairs are completed. Township officials hope the upgrade will be done by sometime in November.

Meanwhile the bridge’s deck damage, worse than originally anticipated, has left the township scrambling to find $400,000 in additional funding to cover the overrun. What was originally thought to be a half million dollar upgrade is now approaching a million dollars in cost.

LTT Trucking LLC of North Bend had been the successful bidder for the project. It was to include replacement of the concrete deck and repairs to the sidewalk and approaches. The initial financing includes a $380,000 PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund grant (first announced in February, 2018) and $120,000 from Chapman Township. Clinton County government was providing up to $60,000 of the township share.

When the township announced the detour in July it said it was hoped the work would be done in time for the start of the new school year and said the detour is in place for the safety of Farwell residents. But now, with the school year starting, board chairman Tim Horner and other township officials are providing traffic control on the route through Farwell to reach the school complex.