Columbia Spy

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/lUnQeViHoH8Columbia Borough officials recently discontinued livestreaming meetings in favor of recording them and posting them on the borough’s YouTube channel the next day. The July 11, 2023 meeting, held a week ago, has not been posted. Columbia Spy has posted an audio recording of the meeting, above.

At the meeting, Pastor Wayne Scott (shown above) of Ashley Tabernacle Church of God gently chided Columbia Borough officials about their focus on the downtown at the expense of other aspects of the community: 

“While we’re building up downtown – we love what you’re doing – don’t forget the poor. Don’t  forget the rest of the community.”

His comments, which were made during a discussion of a block party to be held on South 5th Street, start at 31:45 on the recording. 

Columbia Borough, PA NOTICE: 

PA DEP just announced that an aerial black fly suppression operation has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 19th, on the Main Stem of the Susquehanna River. This operation will include flights in Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, and York Counties. This operation will start in Lancaster and York County at approximately 0800am and work north towards Northumberland County. The helicopter will be a Bell 205 with the tail number N658HA and is painted white with blue stripes.

The bridge was decaying even then:

https://columbiapa-17512.blogspot.com/2013/06/but-seriously-is-bridge-falling-apart.html?m=1

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

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has implemented a weight limit on the Route 462 bridge between Columbia, Lancaster County, and Wrightsville, York County.

This new restriction will limit the weight of each vehicle to 10 tons.

According to PennDOT, the limit was put in place after a routine inspection revealed deterioration to the primary load-carrying members of the open spandrel concrete arch spans along portions of the bridge.

PennDOT said it’s working towards interim repairs and will re-evaluate the restriction while repairs are being made.

The weight limit will reduce strain on the bridge and ensure safe passage until more significant interim repairs can occur, PennDOT said.

Because of 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 expected to happen until 2025.

The Route 462 bridge, built in 1930, is classified as being in fair condition.https://www.wgal.com/article/lancaster-york-counties-route-462-bridge-new-weight-limit/44568920#

Francisco E. Morales conveyed 153 S. Fourth St. to QP Invest Property Grp LLC for $146,601.

Jessica Mann conveyed property on Third Street to Nathaniel W. Sload for $150,000.

This week’s photos of Columbia

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.)

Bike brigade at the cul-de-sac

It was so hot this week that this crow appears to be exhaling smoke.

Even these dogs were trying to beat the heat.

In fact, this skeleton was stripped down as far as you can go, wearing only a grass skirt and flowers.

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The tower at the Watch & Clock Museum

Ground cover

A sort of mini-Stonehenge at Columbia River Park

Yep, they’re here.

Late afternoon sky

Finally replacing the utility pole at Commerce & Walnut

Here’s a closer look.

The Habitat for Humanity project on South 5th is still moving along.

Escaping the bars in Avenue N

Datestone of the former Union & Fourth Street Market House, now St. Peter’s Apartments

Two more beer vats came through town on Friday as they did previously, as Columbia Spy reported HERE.

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One of the hearses from the Postmortem Hearse Club event at Mount Bethel Cemetery on Saturday.

Saturday assemblage

This machine was being used to take soil samples along the Veterans Memorial Bridge this week.

Here are some of the core drills.

Here’s the machine in action.

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Must be time to sit a spell.

Surveying the church grounds at 291 South 4th Street

The white house across the river isn’t on fire. That’s just a cloud creeping up behind it.

Farmall tractor for sale on Bridge Street

Army veteran

When: Columbia Council meeting, July 11.

What happened: The council voted unanimously to spend up to $26,000 to buy 10 portable radios for borough staff. The radios will be purchased through the same contract being used to buy police radios at a substantial discount.

Background: At the June 13 meeting, council approved a $75,000 purchase of 25 dual-band police radios that, for the first time, would allow Columbia police officers to communicate directly with officers across the Susquehanna River in York County without the need to be patched in, which causes delays. That purchase takes advantage of a discount that shaved $75,000 off the total cost.

Rationale: Borough Manager Mark Stivers said that, after approval of the police radio purchase, officials determined the need to keep radio equipment consistent with the borough’s public works and code compliance departments and emergency management coordinator. This would allow public works crews to talk to York County during joint special events or if the Route 462/Veterans Memorial Bridge would be closed for any reason.

[Source: LNP]