by KYW's Ed Kasuba
The Delaware River Port Authority has approved a $72-million operating budget which temporarily holds the line on bridge tolls (see previous story).
Day-to-day expenses are not the issue, says Port Authority CEO John Matheussen -- it’s $1 billion in capital improvements over the next five years which are likely to result in a toll hike late next year.
Matheussen notes that redecking the Walt Whitman Bridge will be a major expense:
"The redecking of that bridge is very significant. As numbers continue to come in, we anticipate that redecking will cost upwards of 115 to 140 million dollars.”
Another big expense, he says, is protecting Authority property from terrorist attacks -- something called "hardening of assets":
"Fences, making things more secure so people can’t easily access them. If there’s a lock on the door, you put two locks on the door. If there’s a hard door, you make it even harder.”
Matheussen said major work also needs to be done on the other three bridges, and Patco rail cars are in line for a major rehab, too.
DRPA commissioner John Estey says that before any hike in bridge tolls, the public will be informed about why the Authority needs the money:
"And I think when we educate people about why we need the resources... people understand bridges don’t take care of themselves, rail cars don’t take of themselves, rail stations don’t take care of themselves.”
Estey said he could not predict when there will be a bridge toll hike nor how much of a hike would be considered.
(Benjamin Franklin Bridge photo: KYW's John Ostapkovich)
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