EBENSBURG — Maintaining the 26 Cambria County-owned bridges is “very important” since they are heavily relied upon by people and emergency medical services going back and forth through towns, said county Commissioner Tom Chernisky.

During a meeting Thursday held at Duman Lake County Park in Barr Township, the commissioners approved a $31,700 agreement with Keller Engineers to develop a bridge maintenance program for county-owned bridges. All three commissioners spoke in favor of the agreement.

President Commissioner Scott Hunt acknowledged the work put in by the previous board of commissioners, which included Chernisky, William “B.J.” Smith and Mark Wissinger, who contributed efforts to repair 10 structurally deficient bridges in the county. The county also reopened a bridge last year that was previously closed.

“We never want to get to that point where we have structurally deficient bridges. This will put out a maintenance program,” Hunt said.

Commissioner Keith Rager said the county wants to make sure all of its bridges remain in compliance of state inspections. “Moving forward, we want to make sure that the bridges are excellent,” he said.

“We want to make sure Cambria County’s infrastructure is taken care of and it’s safe,” Chernisky said. “The last thing we want to do is close bridges, so this is a process of ongoing maintenance. Infrastructure is very important, and I’m glad we’re continuing that momentum.”

Also during their meeting, the commissioners approved six tax exonerations for parcels in East Conemaugh Borough.

The properties are located “right as you come off the bridge in East Conemaugh Borough on the right-hand side,” according to Chief Clerk Alex Ashcom, who said the borough obtained the properties in 2023.

The plan, he said, is to demolish the buildings and consolidate the lots to encourage business development. The taxes needed to be removed so potential buyers could get the property back into taxation without having extra fees associated, he said.

Rager said having the commissioners’ meeting at Duman Lake County Park “brings back a lot of memories for me” because both of his grandparents took him fishing there as a kid.

“I know when I came here as a young person, it was very nice here. I think it went through some bad years, but now we’re back to where it used to be. I’m very proud of that.”

“Our park came a very long way,” Chernisky added.

The picnic tables, the cement and the pavilion where the commissioners held their meeting were built by Admiral Peary Area Vocational Technical School students in Ebensburg.

“There’s definitely a renewed ownership of the park,” Hunt said, adding the park is a “great asset” to the county.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.