Is replacing railroad bridges supposed to be this expensive?
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SEPTA will spend $55.5 million to replace the 120-year-old Crum Creek rail bridge on the busy Media-Elwyn line in Delaware County, following approval by the SEPTA board Thursday.
Replacement of the 925-foot-long bridge between Swarthmore and Nether Providence Township, which will require rail commuters to switch to buses for part of the route in 2016, is to begin early next year and be completed by the spring of 2017.
The SEPTA board also approved other major spending Thursday, including:
$6.6 million to buy 40 new, 60-foot buses instead of 40-foot vehicles to accommodate more passengers.
$2.2 million for 200 more smart-card readers at outlying stations on the Regional Rail network to accomodate SEPTA's planned new electronic fare system.
$4.3 million to refurbish 22 Regional Rail coaches, as part of a financial settlement with Hyundai-Rotem, the South Korean train-builder that was years late in delivering SEPTA's 120 new Silverliner V rail cars.
$40 million for eight engineering companies to provide consulting services over three years, as SEPTA doubles its major construction work, thanks to a state transportation-funding law passed last year.
