Like the adults who run with the bulls once a year in Spain, every afternoon children run with cars across the 15th Street Bridge. When Governor Pawlowski dedicated the bridge with pomp last December, southsiders assumed that the contractor would proceed to finish the pedestrian walkways.It's four months later, and our children are still playing dodge car. Allentown's $billion dollar arena transformation started after the bridge construction began, and will apparently be completed before children can safely walk home. We all understand that the arena is Pawlowski's priority, but are we not a city which needs to do more than one project at a time? Where is the protest from Peter Schweyer, southside City Councilman, hoping to be State Representative. Where are the questions from The Morning Call, after writing one arena promotion after another. It isn't very pretty, what a town without proper priorities, can do.
photocredit:Chris Knight/The Morning Call
Have been watching this over the last few months, I see very little evidence of movement towards completion, and the road surface on either side of the bridge is in poor condition. It could have been fixed while the bridge was being built, but now they will need to close it again to fix the road.
ReplyDeleteAlso - the Union Street bridge is at a standstill with no evidence of construction activities. What kind of contracts do we have with these companies who are in no hurry to do the work?
Mass money manipulation of said federally funded grant application process? Center on the epicenter of allentowns cigar circus sideshow attraction?
ReplyDeleteWill there be a big humidor built later inside for more pontification?
redd
patent peding
If we are to be judged by appearances by our apparent priorities..it looks pretty bleak. Hope the inertia breaks soon, before a child is killed.
ReplyDeleteFunny, it looks like Schweyer was there for the ribbon cutting.
ReplyDeleteI guess being there for the kids is a different story.
Isn't there a second councilman from South Allentown? Nobody seems to care. This is really terrible.
ReplyDeleteFact of the matter is if it doesn't have the words "arena" or "City Center" in it, nobody at the City cares whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that this is a state project and not a city one. The city of Allentown paid only 5% will the county and state paid the remaining 95%. Why are you not taking the state to task for the project?
ReplyDeleteaonymous apologist @7:34, it is a city project with the contract between the city and the contractor, regardless of funding sources. in the future such comments with misinformation and distraction will not be published.
ReplyDeleteThe funding for the bridge is fairly clearly laid out and so is the time line for construction with the pedestrian walk not to completed until the spring. Funding is as follows 80% federal, 15% state, 5% city. Of course the contract with the contract is between the city and the contractor the bridge is owned by the city. But the funds were primarily from the federal government and the state. Here. Is a link to an article published back I'm December: http://www.allentownpa.gov/Home/ArticleID/136
ReplyDelete@7:31, go back to the articles published in 2011 and 2012, the bridge was to be completed within 15 to 18 months, it is behind schedule. before leaving for northampton county, public works director richard young dropped the ball. the kids crossing that bridge are at risk. btw, spring is here.
ReplyDeleteThe State is funding the $ 177.1 million dollar Pawlowski Palace of Sport through the much-hyped Neighborhood Improvement Zone Law --- and this project WILL BE completed on schedule, as is trumpeted loudly by the Lame Stream Media ... constantly.
ReplyDeleteThe State is funding the 15th Street Bridge, as well --- and Molovinsky HAS taken the time to document this particular long, drawn out Pathway To Progress.
Perhaps Molovinsky should be taken to task for failing to point out that it is not only Spring, but the calendar year of 2014, as well.
Shame on you then, Comrade.
Respectfully,
ROLF OELER
If that bridge was owned by a private entity (except City Center, of course)you can be the local politicos (Democrats all) would be screaming about 'the children'. And second in the screaming list would be our sainted school administrators and teachers.
ReplyDelete