Judy Rose

Having been notified the newly constructed bridge over the Blacklick Creek at Adams Crossing in northern Blacklick Township was to be opened to traffic at 9 a.m. November 5, I grabbed my trusty Canon camera and drove out there for some photos and a little video. On hand for the inspection of the new concrete structure which replaced the aged and unsafe wooden span were officials from PennDot, Blacklick Township, and builder; CH&D Enterprises of New Stanton, Pennsylvania.

According to Blacklick Township Engineer Richard "Rich" Wray, Wednesday's opening of the bridge was the culmination of a project that was initiated twenty years ago when the old wooden span, built in the early 1970s, started to show the first signs of structural decay. If you do the math, that takes you back to 1988. The project was then put into PennDot's 12-year bridge plan. The wheels of government turn slowly, however, and it took from 1993 until 2003 to get the promise of funding. Once funding was approved, the project entered into the 20-step design phase where the design principles were worked out and application for the necessary permits were made.

The actual construction began in May, this year.The new Adams Crossing bridge carried a price tag of $1 million. The Federal Government paid 80 percent, leaving Blacklick Township to supply $200,000. "The money was available now so the construction was done now. You need to do projects when the money is available," said Wray, who went on to relate another bridge-building story set near Claysburg. A new bridge that seemed to be a "bridge to nowhere" was built despite vigorous complaints from the local residents who thought the bridge unnecessary.

However, the gamble paid off. When Sheetz Corporation was looking for a place to build a distribution center, it chose the area served by the new bridge. The Sheetz distribution center brought 600 new jobs to the Claysburg area. Blacklick Township officials hope the new Adams Crossing bridge will encourage some needed commercial and residential development for the township, which will increase its tax base and revenues.

Click above to play the Adams Crossing bridge video.

Greetings From Home Page Country

From Blacklick Township...Janet and Martin Miller. The Millers live in the White Mill area of Blacklick Towhsnip. They and their now grown three children spent many years enjoying the fun Adams Crossing bridge and Blacklick Creek had to offer.