NORTH BEAVER, Pennsylvania - October 8, 2011 - As the value of scrap metal - including copper and steel - increases, thieves are becoming more daring and less respectful of institutions such as churches and schools.

But one group of thieves might have set the standard last week by stealing a 50-foot-long bridge. State police said the bridge was stolen sometime in the last 2 weeks in North Beaver Township, Pennsylvania. The theft was discovered last week.

The bridge, around 20 feet wide, was in a wooded area along a railroad line in the township’s Covert’s Crossing region.

A release by state police did not include the name of the bridge’s owner, and trooper Darren Vizyak, the investigating officer, was not available for comment.

Township Supervisor Paul Henry said the bridge was not owned by the municipality and was not to have been used as a township road span. But he was still amazed that the thieves got away with the bridge without anyone noticing.

The bridge was made out of corrugated steel and valued at approximately $100,000. Police said the thief or thieves used a cutting torch to dismantle the bridge where it sat.