Butler City Council was correct in reacting with caution to a proposal from the state Department of Environmental Protection involving three bridges on Sullivan Run.

The state agency wants the city to postpone until 2010 the start of a replacement project involving the three bridges, which are on West Penn, West Brady and West New Castle streets. The work currently is targeted to begin in 2007.

Before making a decision on the request, which is based on the state's plan to improve the Sullivan Run channel, the council wants the city's engineer to consider the advisability, risks and city obligations that would and could be associated with such a postponement. The city also has rightfully requested full documentation associated with the request, such as maps, work specifications and the parameters of what the state is planning.

The city should comply with the state's request if compliance is in the city's best interests, financially and otherwise. City leaders should reject the proposal if too many risks and uncertainties are associated with the idea and proceed with the current timetable.

The plan to improve the Sullivan Run channel seeks to provide a capacity to handle a serious flood of the kind that could be expected once in 100 years or so. However, serious flooding isn't guaranteed to wait 100 years between occurrences, and the flooding in September, spawned by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan, opened a lot of eyes regarding the danger that lurks for people and property in the Sullivan Run area.

City officials are correct in being worried about the status of the municipality's bridges. Monroe Street Bridge deterioration, which evolved over many years, forced the closing of that busy span last April, creating inconvenience for motorists and emergency service providers.

Nearly a year later, there still is no firm timetable for the bridge to be repaired and reopened, and the last thing the city needs is another forced closing of a span - especially since the Main Street Viaduct is targeted for closing later this year in connection with the new-viaduct construction, which began last year.

Mayor Leonard Pintell expressed serious safety concerns about the West Brady Street span, which he said has a problem with erosion.

The city has dealt with that problem by adjusting the bridge's weight limit.

The DEP is suggesting that if the city opts for the three-year delay, there could be a shift of money to the needed South Monroe Street Bridge work. However, the city should not be agreeable to any financial maneuverings that could risk a money shortfall for the Sullivan Run bridge work when it comes to pass.

That is why the professional advice of the city's engineer is necessary and why council members should not render a decision until they have reviewed all details and contingencies of both the 2007 and 2010 options.

The city also should get any agreed-upon courses of action in writing, so that if there are any new council members whenever the bridge work finally is targeted to begin, that there is a clear paper trail to keep the project from being sidetracked by misunderstandings.

Butler cannot afford any mistakes involving its streets and bridges. Roadway conditions throughout the city-maintained travel network are, for the most part, fair to terrible.

The state should be trying to help the city find ways to expedite corrective measures, rather than provide an avenue for the conditions to worsen.