Columbia Borough Fire Department at the Locust Street Park Gazebo - Monday, July 31

 

Thursday morning - Lane restrictions being set up on Route 462 Veterans Memorial Bridge

 

Veterans Memorial Bridge remains unlit because of mayfly hatch

Mayflies have been hatching along the Susquehanna River, and the lights on the Route 462 bridge have been shut off for more than a month now to help keep their carcasses off the structure.

Several hatches have been seen this year, said Mark Stivers, Columbia borough manager. A recent one left the mayfly carcasses an inch and half deep at Columbia Crossing.

The insects are attracted to the lights on the bridge, and piles of bug carcasses littered the structure.

MORE:

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2023/07/27/veterans-memorial-bridge-remains-unlit-because-of-mayfly-hatch/70469537007/ 

Video: Columbia Borough Council Meeting - July 25, 2023

 

Jesse Rothacker and Forgotten Friends Reptiles - Wednesday, July 26, at 6 PM - Locust Street Park Gazebo

 

Mystery solved: Why Riverview Terrace was sold

 

Riverview Terrace, 33-unit apartment building at 132 Locust Street, was recently sold for $5,900,000 to Roman Empire Holdings LLC, according to public documents. It was previously owned by 789 Main Street LLC.

The building was listed for $8,200,000 in November 2022, shortly after construction was completed. In January 2023, the price was reduced to $7,900,000.

One prominent local development firm claims rising interest rates and restrictions on building and demolition in Lancaster city’s historic district - not internal financial issues - have led it to indefinitely shelve its plans in the city and Columbia.

Lancaster County-based Eberly Myers, which once proposed high-end apartments for young residents, has sold most of its real estate portfolio in the county after losing two properties to foreclosure by lenders.

According to one of the partners in the firm, the decision to sell the properties was motivated more by recent economic trends than the foreclosures. Benjamin Myers said recent increases in interest rates are “sucking the life” out of real estate development in general, which has led the group to indefinitely shelve its plans to develop apartments in Lancaster County.

MORE: HERE

PennDOT posts signs about weight limit on the Veterans Memorial Bridge

 

PennDOT workers posted several signs at the entrance to the Route 462 Veterans Memorial Bridge today to remind drivers of the 10-ton weight limit currently in effect. PennDOT imposed the limit on Monday, July 17, after discovering deterioration at various parts of the bridge. The PennDOT press release about the issue is posted below.


PennDOT press release on Route 462 Veterans Memorial Bridge weight limit

Weight Limit Posted on Route 462 Veterans Memorial (Columbia-Wrightsville) Bridge in Lancaster County

07/17/2023

​Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today a weight limit has been established on the Route 462 Veterans Memorial (Columbia-Wrightsville) Bridge over the Susquehanna River connecting the Borough of Wrightsville, York County and the Borough of Columbia, Lancaster County.

The bridge has not previously had a weight restriction. The new restriction will limit the weight of each vehicle to 10 tons except for emergency vehicles permitted by the Department. Vehicles exceeding the posted weight limit are suggested to use Route 30, an approximate 8.7-mile detour, or other alternate route. In addition to regulatory signs specific to this 10-ton weight restriction, the Department will enact a truck detour for Route 462 to assist in routing trucks safely across the river.

Trucks traveling eastbound from the Wrightsville (west) side of the river should take eastbound Route 30 to the Prospect Road exit, then turn right and head south to Route 462.

Trucks traveling westbound from the Columbia (east) side of the river should take westbound Route 30 to the Route 462/Wrightsville exit, then turn left and head south to Route 462.

The weight restriction was implemented after a routine inspection uncovered deterioration to the primary load carrying members of the open spandrel concrete arch spans along portions of the bridge. The Department is working towards interim repairs to the bridge and will re-evaluate the posting while repairs are being made.

Creating the weight restriction will reduce strain on the bridge and will preserve safe passage until more significant interim repairs can occur. Given the necessity to change the design scope of work on the bridge, now potentially including bridge deck, floor beam and column replacement, work on the bridge for the permanent condition is now not anticipated to occur until 2025.

The historic Route 462 bridge was built in 1930 and is classified as being in fair condition. Approximately 11,548 vehicles use the bridge daily, with 5%, or 601 trucks anticipated to be affected by this posting. The remaining 95% of traffic is anticipated to be below this limit and can continue to use the structure without restriction.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties at PennDOT District 8.

Information about infrastructure in District 8, including completed work and significant projects, is available at District 8 Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at PennDOT Projects.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

CONTACT: Dave Thompson 717-418-5018, dmthompson@pa.gov