With Christmas Eve a week away, and my wife hot on my heels to get the Christmas card list done, I drove down to what WHTM called Miller's Bridge at the base of Slate Hill Road to see if I could get a first hand look at the damage which forced York County officials to close the bridge Friday.
I got an eyeful.
Click the thumbnails for larger images.
The damage is extreme. I had a chance to talk to a boy walking across the bridge while I was there this afternoon. Turned out he lives in the first house on the right on the York County side as you travel towards I-83. He said his father saw the damage earlier in the week, but had no idea what caused the damage. They just figure something gave way, causing the facing of the bridge to fall into the creek.
Whatever happened, the bridge certainly doesn't appear safe at this point. Repairs would be costly and time consuming, and work probably couldn't start until spring.
I talked to LAT Manager Tom Vernau yesterday afternoon. He said York County officials indicated the side of the bridge was struck, which caused the facing to give way. There is a rumor circulating that Fairview Township runs its a snowplow truck laden with salt over the bridge - which has a 3 ton load limit - but that information could not be confirmed.
Regardless, for the time being Slate Hill Road will be a much quieter road.
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