(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Dan Slagle, Caption for Photo: A conceptual design of a proposed emergency access bridge in the Leetsdale Industrial Park.)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
(Leetsdale, PA) A feasibility study is underway to determine whether a defunct railroad trestle can be converted into an emergency access bridge connecting industrial parks in Leetsdale and Ambridge.
The study is expected to take about six months, with a report anticipated by the end of the year.
If constructed, the bridge would provide an evacuation route for more than 200 residents from 60 households along Washington Street in Leetsdale and approximately 6,000 employees working in the two industrial parks in the event of a major industrial accident or railroad disaster.
Leetsdale council voted 6-0 on May 14 to award the estimated $139,000 study contract to Remington & Vernick Engineers.
Councilman Robert Benedict was absent. Council also considered a proposal from LSSE Engineers.
Borough engineer Dan Slagle said both firms were highly qualified. However, he recommended Remington & Vernick, saying the firm offered greater depth and would provide a more comprehensive report within the project’s budget. The study is being funded through a state Local Share Account grant.
“The question becomes, ‘How much each firm can accomplish for that amount,'” Slagle said. “The idea is to get enough information so that we could file for a subsequent grant for construction in the amount somewhere between $2 million and $5 million based on the estimate that the engineering firm puts together.”
Council President Maria Napolitano, who participated in the selection process and interviewed representatives from both firms, agreed with Slagle’s assessment.
“We hired a reputable regional firm,” Napolitano said. “Bridges are their specialty.”
The study is expected to identify ownership of the property where the bridge is located and evaluate the condition of the existing structure. It also will help determine the bridge’s projected width and potential construction materials.
Slagle said he has kept Ambridge officials informed throughout the process, but their involvement was not necessary to begin the study.
“We will need Ambridge’s help when we go after the big bucks,” Slagle said. “This multi-municipal project will benefit both municipalities by providing emergency access to both industrial parks.”
Before construction could begin, officials would also need to conduct a hazardous materials investigation to identify contaminants such as lead, asbestos and creosote and develop mitigation strategies.
“Right now, I just want to see what the study shows because this is very exciting — that we actually found somebody who can stay within our budget,” Napolitano said. “We’re looking to do it all fully from grant funds. From talking to both companies that interviewed with us, I walked away with a feeling that the whole project with the bridge is actually possible.”
Officials first began exploring the bridge project following a major emergency more than a decade ago.
A five-alarm fire at the Leetsdale Industrial Park in November 2015 prompted multiple evacuations. Quaker Valley School District relocated administrators from offices in the industrial park to the high school, where after-school activities were canceled.
A building owned by Lubrizol Corp., an oilfield chemicals company, was heavily damaged by an explosion and fire that quickly spread to a neighboring building. Eight people, including firefighters, were treated for minor injuries.
The train derailment along Norfolk Southern rail lines in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3rd, 2023, also renewed discussions about how local officials should prepare for a major industrial or transportation-related emergency.