Motorists using South Monroe Street were dealt a setback last week with the state Department of Transportation's announcement that replacement of the South Monroe Street Bridge would be delayed.

While the bridge leaves much to be desired in terms of a modern travel experience, and the roadway leading up to it is in a deplorable state, that unfortunately isn't the worst of the situation.

It's the timing of the replacement of the South Monroe Street Bridge in regard to the nearby Wayne Street Viaduct replacement project that now is a serious matter of concern.

How much the new South Monroe construction schedule will affect motorists who will be detoured by construction of the new viaduct is, of course, a matter of conjecture at this point. But it seems possible that the South Monroe Street Bridge delay could necessitate long, tedious detours that might have been avoided or minimized if the South Monroe span work could have begun when originally planned.

South Monroe Street is envisioned as a quick detour for southside traffic when the Wayne Street span is closed.

The South Monroe Street project was scheduled originally to begin in August, but now a December — or spring — startup apparently lies ahead.

The fate of quick progress on the bridge project is dependent upon whether Butler experiences a mild winter.

It would seem that an early start of bad weather — in November or December — would quickly mothball the project until spring.

With the project slated for a one-year construction timetable, the delay likely means that the new bridge won't be in use until 2010, rather than late next year.

City and county officials who worked expeditiously over a period of years to ensure that their responsibilities tied to the project would cause no delay have cause for disappointment and, even, anger.

Meanwhile, motorists have been left wondering why, all things considered, those officials reponsible for issuing the remaining permissions failed to do their jobs in a timely way.

According to John Evans, the city's zoning officer, it was OKs required from the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad, whose tracks the bridge spans, and the state Public Utility Commission that dealt the project its setback.

It's good that those delays finally are resolved, but it will be little consolation to those who the delays eventually might seriously inconvenience, including ambulances, police and fire vehicles, whose ability to respond to emergencies quickly can sometimes be the difference between life and death.

PennDOT owes the people of Butler a clear explanation about the sticking points that led to the delay. And, specifically, were they avoidable or not?

PennDOT says a tentative schedule now has the contract being put out for bid Oct. 9. The state transportation agency should ensure that, unlike the previous plan, where bids for the project were to be opened on July 19, this time there won't be a glitch.

The South Monroe Street project must not be further victimized by bureaucratic foot-dragging even one more day. PennDOTofficials should manage the projects with an eye toward avoiding both spans being closed at the same time.