A display of public disregard
Dear Editor:
Regarding the article on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, Truck needs "Helping Hand" in JT, I write to protest against the practice by PennDOT that permits huge trucks to route through our narrow streets and over Jim Thorpe's rickety bridge.
The display of public disregard was most obvious on Aug. 4 when traffic and commerce ground to a halt as a mammoth 34-wheeler attempted to negotiate the historically narrow lanes of Hazard Square, then turn onto the dilapidated span of the 903 bridge. Hundreds of people hours were wasted to extract the clot from the public artery.
Just one of scores of local citizens, I gave up waiting in Jim Thorpe for an appointment trapped behind the monster truck and dashed to reach another appointment on Jim Thorpe's Broadway. I had to cross backwoods mountain tracks to Lehighton and over Flagstaff to reach the back of Jim Thorpe. Meanwhile, the mammoth truck lumbered up North Street and Kattner's Hill. Hours later, it was seen by Lake Harmony still a clog to Rt. 903 traffic.
Do trucking companies who planned this botch understand Carbon County topography?
Appealing to Jim Thorpe borough officials and PennDOT, is there some way to limit the size of vehicles sent through Route 209 and over the Jim Thorpe bridge, the most vulnerable infrastructure in our county?
Imagine the loss of life and tragedy for our community if the bridge snapped under just one more ton of truck!
Bill Allison
Penn Forest
