Deteriorating railroad bridge causes concern for Indiana Township officials, residents

An old train bridge continues to cause big safety concerns for officials in Indiana Township.

The 127-year-old concrete bridge over Little Deer Creek Valley Road has been steadily deteriorating since the 1990s. Police Chief Steven Colucci said he is determined to navigate the situation with bridge owner Canadian National Railroad.

Last year, the police department filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission alleging public safety issues exist because of falling concrete from the bridge and its overall deterioration.

Nearly 1,000 vehicles pass through the low, narrow tunnel each day.

“It’s a well-traveled road, and the road is maintained well. It’s just the tunnel is a problem,” Colucci said. “You have tractor-­trailers that can’t fit through the tunnel. We’re constantly there helping stuck trucks.”

Township police have had to assist more than 40 trucks over the past two years.

“That’s tying up the officers that are working,” Colucci said. “They can be down there for two hours, depending on the severity.”

Signage on both sides of the arch bridge alerts drivers to stop and sound their horn to alert oncoming traffic. The tunnel clearance is a little under 10 feet.

Colucci said trucks can become wedged so firmly inside the tunnel that tow trucks have to remove them.

To date, no injuries have been reported, but officials noted that every time a truck gets stuck, it results in more damage to the tunnel.

The tunnel ceiling has numerous large cracks along concrete seams, and water leaks from above. Icicles hang down during the winter months.

Trains cross the bridge twice daily.

Last year, the PUC ordered Canadian National Railroad to coat the ceiling with a polymer seal and repair the concrete cracks and the headwall.

Township code enforcement officer Jeffrey Curti is concerned for the traveling public.

“What if that wall (on top of the arch tunnel) comes down? It’s popped out at least 4 or 5 inches,” Curti said. “Rebar is sticking out from the concrete. And the salt is working on the concrete after all these years.”

A representative of Canadian National Railroad said the company plans to close the bridge for repairs when temperatures are warmer. Dates for the work have not been scheduled, and the township plans to coordinate with PennDOT to provide a detour during the closure.

“Safety is a core value at CN. In December 2023, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Pennsylvania DOT, the town of West Deer and CN agreed to a repair schedule for work to be done this year,” said Ashley Michnowski, Canadian National Railroad senior manager of media relations, in an email to TribLive.

“We appreciate the cooperation of local community leaders as work on this project gets underway. Due to the nature of the repair, involving spalling concrete, the work is not undertaken during wintertime with cold temperatures.

“CN is responsible for the cost of the repairs to the concrete arch bridge structure, and PennDOT is responsible for all roadway signage and maintenance.”

State Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, said her office receives weekly calls from concerned motorists about the bridge.

“My office is contacted frequently by residents who pass through and have serious concerns about their safety,” Steele said. “People have called reporting debris has fallen on their cars and that an accident is going to happen.”

Officials said township residents from the nearby Rural Ridge neighborhood are the most vocal about the bridge, which was built during the horse-and-buggy days.

“They are worried about the life of the tunnel. They’re worried for their safety,” Colucci said.

Township officials said they repeatedly have requested the latest bridge safety report from Canadian National. It was completed in 1992.

“They’re just not providing it, but they could,” Colucci said.

Federal law does not require inspection reports to be released or for railroad companies to produce an engineering study.

“When it comes to the release of CN bridge inspection reports, they are available under the process established by legislation,” Michnowski said via email.

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 includes a section that allows a state or political subdivision of a state to file a request with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation for a public version of a bridge inspection report generated by a railroad as required by Federal Railroad Administration bridge safety standards, Michnowski said.

“If the (FRA) secretary determines the request is reasonable, FRA will require the appropriate railroad to submit a public version of the most recent bridge inspection report to the FRA,” she said. “FRA will then provide copies of the report to the requesting governmental official.”

Colucci said routine inspections were not completed by former bridge owner Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Co.

“It’s frustrating because I think any municipality should be able to gain access to engineer studies,” Colucci said.

Joyce Hanz | TribLive

Indiana Township code enforcement officer Jeffrey Curti visits the deteriorating 127-year-old-train bridge along Little Deer Creek Valley Road on Tuesday.

Township officials pointed out several areas of concern in the tunnel Tuesday morning, including damp sections caused by water damage, sections of widening concrete and falling concrete.

“I’m hopeful they correct the problem so we can be assured of safety,” said Curti, who is concerned about shifting concrete at the bridge header.

Curti said he would like to see an independent engineer conduct a safety report.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, requested that the railroad provide access to safety reports pertaining to the bridge. He visited the site last week.

“I saw the problem with my own eyes,” Deluzio said. “It’s unacceptable that many drivers go through this tunnel and worry about getting out safely.

“We can’t let railroads cut corners on safety, and I hope we’ll make progress on this really soon.”

Colucci said a new amphitheater opening this summer in West Deer will impact traffic through the tunnel. The entertainment will be able to accommodate up to 5,300 people.

“The majority traveling to the amphitheater will need to go through the tunnel to get to the events, and that could be thousands more cars,” he said. “It needs to be repaired. If anything, it needs to be replaced. The tunnel is a hindrance for any development.”

West Deer Manager Dan Mator declined to comment.

Curti referenced a previously proposed 35-home development in Indiana Township that fell through because of traffic concerns and potential impact on the tunnel.

“We’re going to suffer due to all this. Traffic has changed so much since then, and we’ve got to get traffic flowing through there,” he said. “(The bridge) needs to be replaced.”