Manheim Bridges Blocked In Flood ; While Trying To Move Cars To Safer Location Dealership Finds Access Road Closed Off [Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA)]

BY ROCHELLE A. SHENK

Correspondent

High water wasn't the only concern in Manheim during flooding on Oct. 10 and 11.

The flooding that resulted from more than 7 inches of rain caused what may be the first-ever weather-related cancellation of part of the Manheim Farm Show.

The committee canceled the event on its final day, moved animals to a safer location and revamped plans for the livestock auction. It also caused concern of another kind at the opposite end of town.

Pete Hondru, president of Hondru Auto Group, reported during a Manheim Chamber of Commerce meeting Oct. 22 that PennDOT blocked access to approaches on both sides of the Route 72 and Fruitville Pike bridges by placing vehicles across the roadway.

"The bridges were closed even to emergency vehicles," Hondru said. "We were trying to move our inventory from our lots to a safer location, and this hampered our efforts."

The Route 72 bridge over the Chiques Creek separates Hondru Ford and Hondru Chevrolet. The dealerships adjoin the creek on either side. Both dealerships were damaged by flood waters during Tropical Storm Lee in September 2011, but the Chevrolet dealership sustained the most damage.

Eighty vehicles and the dealership's parts inventory were lost to flood waters. The facility itself had 2 to 3 feet of water inside, which damaged carpet, furniture, displays, electrical systems, computer wiring and the HVAC system.

He said that damage from this month's flooding was minor - some water was pumped from the basement of Hondru Ford.

Hondru said that temporary vehicle storage was offered by Jeff Sweigart, the owner of Work Zone Fitness, 700 Lancaster Road. The fitness facility is located on the site that had formerly housed a Hondru Chrysler/GMC dealership.

"We have a great group of business owners in Manheim," Hondru said. "Over the years, we've had many business owners offer us free use of their lots when we have an emergency situation."

He added that the dealerships' insurance company requires that they have a written and approved evacuation plan for vehicles.

"The Route 72 bridge is an integral part of that plan; without it, they will not insure us," Hondru stressed.

"In this last flood our town was shut off," said Aaron Schwartz, Manheim Chamber vice president. "We have weight-restricted bridges on either side of High Street - that shuts down the east-west corridor - and PennDOT blocked both the Route 72 and Fruitville Pike bridge."

Manheim Borough manager Mark Stivers said that the flooding was not expected.

"No one was calling for that much rain," Stivers said. "We didn't know the storm would be that bad, but we were certainly shocked to see the Route 72 and Fruitville Pike bridges closed in that manner.

"We were told by PennDOT that the bridges would be reopened after they were inspected, and I understand that concern for safety," he said.

State Sen. Mike Brubaker and state Rep. Mindy Fee attended the Oct. 22 Chamber meeting and said they were concerned that the bridges were blocked in such a manner.

However a meeting with PennDOT representatives and borough officials on Oct. 24 clarified the issue.

Scott Tanguy, PennDOT's Lancaster County highway maintenance manager, said in an email that in the past, the municipality had placed barricades at this location and closed it on its own.

During this event, PennDOT identified the flooding and closed it first.

"During these events, when we have multiple closures throughout the county, we use whatever we have to effectively block the roadway," Tanguy wrote. "In this case we used PennDOT dump trucks."

When dump trucks are used to block a roadway, they are manned.

Tanguy indicated that foremen were at the location at certain times, and at other times equipment operators were in crew cabs.

He stressed that the trucks were not unmanned; the operators were just not sitting in the trucks at all times.

Tanguy said that PennDOT followed the direction of its bridge unit before re-opening the roadway.

"After the water subsided, we kept the roadway closed," Tanguy said. "Since both bridges had been under pressure flow, they needed to be inspected and determined safe for travel before they were reopened."

With regard to periodic flooding in the borough, Stivers said that Manheim is in a low-lying area and there's a lot of water that drains into the Chiques Creek around Manheim.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studied Manheim's flooding issues after Hurricane Agnes ravaged the area in 1972, and again after Tropical Storm Lee.

"We're reviewing that data to see if we can mitigate some of the issues," he said.

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