Pennsylvania Squanders $Million On Bridge To Nowhere In Allentown

Drivers along Martin Luther King Blvd. have noticed a bridge built to nowhere across from the Parkette's parking lot. The large new cement bridge replaces an old small iron railroad trestle across the Little Lehigh, which served only the homeless for the last several decades. 

This is a story of grants and nonsense rising above incompetency to a level of blatant tax dollar waste.

Here is the story of this overbuilt bridge which leads to nowhere. Years ago the Barber Quarry railroad spur line was removed.  These tracks crossed S. 10th Street and proceed west to the old fertilizer plant, and then north past Union Terrace and eventually crossed Hamilton Street to serve the soda bottling plant on Linden Street. Its last working customer was the Wentz Memorial shop on Walnut Street. When the tracks were removed all the way back to 3th and Union Street area, the AEDC did not protest. After the AEDC came in control of the former Traylor Engineering building on S. 10th, they decided that if the tracks were reinstalled, it would make their vacant building more desirable to an industrial tenant. Of course in the real world reinstalling tracks costs a thousand times more than removing them for scrap iron. Also in the real world very few industries still exist which have need for a rail siding. Working for AEDC at this time was Matt Tuerk.

Meanwhile, the Allentown Park department, although neglecting existing assets such as the WPA structures and closing rather than repairing swimming pools, buys two unnecessary parcels before a former mayor begins his prison sentence. Biking enthusiast Matt Tuerk eventually becomes mayor when a grant finally comes down the pipeline, and we quietly get an overbuilt bridge to nowhere.

As a resident taxpayer I'm appalled at the misuse of public funds. I recall how Lehigh Parkway was bisected and degraded when the bridge there was replaced only by a pedestrian bridge. I recall how long it took to recently replace the bridge across the creek on Lehigh Street. I recall losing the Fountain Park pool because of the cost of a new filter. As a park advocate I have written volumes on the degraded park system supposedly because of the lack of funding. This bridge to nowhere is an insult to everybody.

ADDENDUM 8:00AM: The costly bridge, built with public money, will accommodate Serfass Construction & Development plans to construct a manufacturing facility on the old incinerator parcel, purchased from AEDC for $150K. Although I'm glad there is some purpose, I'm not delighted that our tax dollars are being used to enhance a private position. Pat Browne "engineered" the handout, and he's quite experienced with doing so for select beneficiaries.