The required in-depth PennDOT inspection of the trestles spanning across Iron and Spring Streets has been completed and the report shines a light on what happens to wooden trestles that are left to rot, beginning the day West Easton accepted ownership of the trestles decades ago without a plan for maintenance and upkeep.
The trestles have serious structural problems.
The 104 page report has made it clear that the wooden sections of the trestles are in such a decayed condition that saving them through rebuilding is not fiscally feasible, due to the exorbitant cost of more than $1 Million for West Easton (and that amount is after figuring in Wilson Borough contributing half the cost for the trestle over Iron Street).
The inspection was conducted by the certified bridge engineering firm, Alfred Benesch & Company, whose workers used ladders, booms, poles, and hammer soundings to inspect all areas of the trestles over Iron and Spring Streets.
The trestle spanning Spring Street was found to be in overall “imminent” failure condition. An “imminent” failure rating indicates there is major deterioration or section loss in critical structural components.
These components include “imminent” failure ratings given to the superstructure, including timber stringers, substructure, and timber piers.
Timber abutments on this trestle were found to be in overall “critical” condition.
The steel tiers of the trestle are still in “fair” condition, despite a few areas of packed rust and joint deterioration. The wooden railroad ties running across the trestle platform show significant decay and have vegetation growing along them.
Overall, approximately 170 locations on the Spring Street trestle’s struts, stringers, and columns were listed and summarized with notations that used the words, “decay” or “split,” to describe the condition of the wood.
The trestle spanning Iron Street mirrors the problems with the Spring Street trestle, according to the report.
While it was my hope that these trestles could have been incorporated into the D&L Trail System with the awarding of grants and the assistance of D&L Trails, the reality is that they are far beyond saving.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
