Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Township
Council Greenlights Randall Ave Contactor Bid of $2.75 Million for Phase Two Work
Bristol Township Council gave the go-ahead on a $2.75 million contractor bid so phase two work could start on the Randall Avenue Bridge which has been closed for a little more than 21 months after debris came falling on to the railway tracks in February of 2022.
Members approve the bid from Loftus Construction for the phase two work which will seek to fix structural issues existing on the span and allowing for the distinct possibility the bridge could reopen sometime in 2025.
First repairing the eroded concrete abutments, replacing corroded bearings, and installing new bridge joints needs to be completed, said Township Engineer Kurt Schroeder outlining the steps for the phase two work.
“The abutments have eroded over the years and a fiber wrap will be employed to restore that,” Schroeder explained.
“The bearings that hold up the beams are very corroded. So they’re going to put up temporary shoring.”
Other tasks to be completed as part of the project include replacing the joints on the top side of the bridge with their related barriers.
The potential to reopen the bridge once work is completed, township officials said would likely happen with vehicle weight restrictions implemented.
“Our engineers are very optimistic about the ability to certainly reopen it at the existing 3 1/2 ton weight restriction,” he said. “But we are going to seek to try to see if that can be increased.”
PennDOT and Utility Commission officials will have to inspect the bridge before it reopens.
We’ve already discussed it with the police department, our police personnel will be sure to keep a watchful eye on the bridge watching this bridge, township manager Randee Mazur said once it officially reopens.
The $2.75 million price tag goes beyond the amount of the available grant funding, Bristol had been awarded plus funds of its own.
A grant for $2 million plus a second one for $975,000 (initially received from a multimodal grant, Mazur said will be used to costs We spent a little bit over a million with Hanes and Kibblehouse for the phase one work . So we’re going to have to supplement from the general fund or from the capital fund, about $300,000 to cover the remaining project balance, she said.
Randal Ave Bridge Closed Credit: Lower Bucks Source
Township officials said this part of the project will require less coordination with Amtrak, as much of the work will be done from the top side of the bridge. The first phase work took months due to safety planning involving Amtrak and SEPTA. Mazur noted communications with Amtrak have become more relaxed which has helped to create improved relations between the two organizations while working together on the project.
Township officials have said throughout the process repairing the bridge is more than likely a temporary fix. Once the work is completed, officials will consider to secure at replacing the entire span which is expected to cost at least $10 million.
No date has been set as of publication time for when the second phase work will begin.
Bristol Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack on Tuesday morning released the following statement on last nights Dorrance Street Fire.
It’s only been edited for style:
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Joe Nelson
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Township
Bristol Twp Police Reports: Levittown Man Arrested on Aggravated Assault Charges, License Plate Stolen in Farmbrook and More !
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Township
Bristol Twp. School District Clothing Drive Does More Than Provide Attire, It Provides Stability for Students in Need
It is one thing to see a teenage student on their way to school wearing a “hoodie” on a cold winter day.
It is an entirely different image to see a child heading to school on that same cold winter day, not wearing a winter jacket. This is the very image Bristol Township School District and Police Department officials recently joined forces to fight with a significant financial contribution from philanthropist Gene Epstein
The school district said recently it has about 130 students experiencing serious stable housing challenges.
Dr. Meredith Leach School District Social Worker said, holding the drive and providing the needed clothing for students experiencing a period of housing displacement can and does offer not only clothing, but a sense of stability students need to thrive in class.
It’s no secret, Leach said, that a sense of stability leads to achievement. By providing basic needs, such as clothing, they (school district and police department) are trying to put their students in the best possible position to succeed and thrive, despite the housing challenges their families are facing.
Leach said families experiencing housing challenges and alike usually self-identify to the school district and fellow counselors and social workers system wide to coordinate resource support.
“The school district also offers school supplies, hygiene items and if we don’t have it in stock at our offices we order it online.”
“Sometimes something so minor to an outsider, like organizers for clothing drawers, for a student means the world because it gives them a sense of control over some of the life circumstances they’re experiencing.”
“We’re lucky enough to live in a county and state where services for students experiencing this kind of life challenge there are an array of services and resources available,” Leach said.
So lucky that neighboring businesses, such as Five Below in Tullytown, donated to the cause once the clothing drive was announced.
Credit: Joanne Ames – Lower Bucks Source
The Clothing Drive
Leach said the clothing drive idea came to fruition once she and her staff reviewed the numbers and realized about 130 students were in need.
In the human services field (i.e. social work) a measure of your professional success and community connection is always having that one yet-to-be used resource in your back pocket that social workers place on the table when faced with a potentially troubling situation, experts agree.
I saw a social media post from Neshaminy School District that said “we are filling our closets.”
Leach pulled out her “Ace Card” in the form of the Bristol Twp. Police Dept. Officer John Dobbs who in turn reached out to Epstein because they worked well together in the past.
The Epsteins donated to the cause as well as Walmart making a $500 contribution to the effort, Sgt. Jason Mancuso said.
We basically filled everything the school district needed for those 125 to 130 students, Mancuso said.
The Bristol Township Police Union (PBA) contributed a number of gift cards to the effort as well.
Leach in a moment of levity said of the clothing drive spending spree paid for by Epstein, “when do you ever get carte blanche to buy what you want as a social worker? Never!” She admitted to being a bit timid at first when selecting clothing items to purchase.
“Mancuso and Dobbs changed that for me. They grabbed boxes where I was grabbing packets,” she said, in joyous laughter.
The spacious school district office where the clothes are kept and distributed to school district social workers is filled with supplies for students now, thanks to Epstein giving Mancuso his credit card allowing Leach to spend thousands on students in need.
How could I not do it and live in good conscience, Epstein said.
“Those students were in immediate need,” he said “and it would take way too much time to set up a fundraising drive. Here’s my credit card and I don’t care what you spend. Get the kids what they need.”
Credit: Joanne Ames – Lower Bucks Source
“Whatever our students need we’re going to do everything we can to help them. We don’t want any of our students walking around with needs we can help them meet. I like to think we can help our students, and their families to be build a scaffold that they in turn can build upon.”
The response to the need by the Bristol Twp Police, the PBA and the Epsteins was amazing, Leach said.
The student-focused clothing drive officially launched February 2 and remains ongoing until the need no longer exists.
Any clean clothes, even if previously worn, can be dropped off at the Bristol Twp Police records department hallway or at the Bristol Township School Admin Building on Green Lane.
Opus Outreach Foundation joined the clothing drive shortly after it was announced. Items can be dropped off at Opus Elite Real Estate 119 Trenton Road, Fairless Hills. If you want to arrange a clothing drive donation you can call Christy Becker at 267 338-7518.
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