Raised bridge created a waterfall downstream

Of potential interest to readers is that in Tinicum Township, Headquarters Road near the bridgeover Tinicum Creek was recently blocked up with stone and dirt by PennDOT (to prevent bicyclists from crossing the bridge was the reasoning).
The blocked area likely led to water being diverted and directed to the downriver (north) side of the PennDOT road. Further, the road had been raised 2 to 3 feet several years ago, which PennDOT viewed as acting as a mini-dam to keep water from freely moving through the flood plain that is my pastures.
But with any significant rain, the raised road when breached, acts like a waterfall as water comes from the south side of the road, climbs the 2-foot raised road and then crashes down on to the north side of the road. It did not help that PennDOT had left a depression on its property line which in a matter of maybe two to three hours created a crater that we measured out to be 148 feet long, by 22 feet wide, and approximately 12 feet deep. (Photo # 1)
PennDOT’s two-lane bridge plans call for a road raised even higher, which with a short, intense rain storm that seems to come every three to five years now, will destroy this nationally registered historic pasture and flood plain.

So far, a PennDOT representative has told me, PennDOT has no intentions to repair the craters or road anytime soon (Photos 2 and 3). It seems unrealistic to think a two-lane bridge can be built now in historic, preserved land that is this fragile from a construction design that will create a more severe waterfall situation with a higher road and a dam pointing the rampaging water right into these supposedly federally protected pastures.
By the way, the 1812 bridge seemed perfectly fine and seemed to have withstood the storm and flooding just fine. It was only work done by PennDOT that created destruction and that itself was destroyed. It seems once again our forefathers who built this bridge and left us this magnificent land are laughing at us any time we tinker with their everlasting handiwork.
Steve Gidumal, Ottsville

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