Though it seemed a solution had been reached well over a month ago to the Creek Road bridge problem in Sandy Lake Township, township supervisors, PennDOT officials and local politicians spent more than two hours Wednesday afternoon hashing out another agreement.

Sen. Bob Robbins (R-50) said he asked for the meeting to discuss ownership of the bridge and learn of all the proposals put forth to rectify the situation. Rep. Rod Wilt, R-Sugar Grove Township, 17th District, also attended the meeting. The legislators acted as mediators between township supervisors and PennDOT officials.

Supervisors have maintained for nearly three decades that the bridge is not owned by the township and the township cannot afford maintenance for the bridge. PennDOT officials said the bridge was turned over to the township through an act of legislation.

In May, PennDOT officials told supervisors that normally the only way to undo an act of legislation is through another act of legislation; however, a loophole in the law allows the state to take over Creek Road because it's a main access road from state Route 173 to Goddard State Park. PennDOT asked township supervisors to take over part of a state maintained road in exchange for Creek Road.

Supervisors were given a list of roads -- Yankee School, McComb, Patton and Booher -- to choose in exchange for Creek. In May supervisors said they wanted to maintain part of Booher but PennDOT officials said Wednesday that wasn't agreeable because winter maintenance "would create operational inefficiencies in the plow routes."

Eventually the supervisors agreed to take back all of Booher Road from state Route 62 to the Mill Creek Township line. The state is going to make any necessary repairs to the road before the turnback occurs.

Jerry Brosius, assistant district engineer for maintenance for PennDOT, said the state wanted an equal tradeoff and improved level of services for residents in the area. Brosius said he tried to find roads that township employees have to travel anyway when plowing other roads.

Township Supervisor Ed Olson refused to consider the other proposed roads.

"It's out of the question. Move on," he said of Yankee School. "It's high traffic. It's school buses and kids running out there. You've got to consider we have no full-time employees in this township. None. We have jobs."

Bill Petit, district engineer for PennDOT, suggested McComb. He said the state would even be willing to resurface the road before the turnback just to ensure the township that the maintenance would be low.

"Move on," Olson told him.

Robbins said taking back part of a road is the only way "to get rid of a $1.3 million liability" for the township. That is the amount of money it would cost to replace the bridge in the future, though now the bridge needs about $50,000 in repairs. He asked the supervisors to come up with an agreeable road.

"We have one," Olson said, referring to part of Booher.

Petit said he understands the township acquired the bridge through a "legislative snafu" but the only way to resolve the problem is for the township to take back part of a road.

"Who in here thinks that a township of 1,200 people should have that bridge," Olson asked.

"We can't change what's been done," Petit said. He tried once again to get township supervisors to agree to take McComb.

"As far as I'm concerned we went through McComb Road. It's a personal thing now," Olson said.

The township supervisors then left the room to meet in private. They returned a few minutes later.

"I just don't know what else to do ... I'm worn out about it," Wilt said. "I got a call about a bridge and we're still talking about somebody that screwed somebody else 30 years ago."

Wilt said that New Vernon Township officials probably aren't going to be happy with the arrangement because they have a township-maintained road they want the state to take over.

"The next fight will be in New Vernon. We're putting ourselves behind the eight ball," he said. "What do we need to make Booher Road work," he asked.

Petit told the supervisors he will get them a schedule next week that outlines the time frame for the repair work and the paperwork.

Wilt said about 13 bridges across the state were turned over to townships when the act of legislation was passed. He said trying to get another act of legislation to turn the Creek Road bridge back would be impossible because all 13 counties would want to be included in the bill and it would never pass.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at kgarrett@sharon-herald.com