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Closed Bridge Like Deja Vu in Springville

SPRINGVILLE TOWNSHIP — A routine inspection led to an emergency bridge closure in Susquehanna County. This comes only months after another bridge on the s...

SPRINGVILLE TOWNSHIP -- A routine inspection led to an emergency bridge closure in Susquehanna County. This comes only months after another bridge on the same road reopened.

The bridge closure came as a surprise to PennDOT and to people who live in the community near Springville.

A PennDOT vehicle carrying barriers is a particularly bad sign on West Nicholson Road in Susquehanna County. Crews prepared to close a bridge on the road near Springville while neighbor Luann Fisher prepared an alternate route for a very important trip she will make in a few weeks.

"Well, I'm very pregnant, so it's a big concern for me. Getting any place takes a while from living out here to begin with, so any type of detour is, you know, is not good for people who live here," Fisher said.

PennDOT says the bridge had to be closed as an emergency precaution. Traffic on the Springville side will be detoured an extra 10 miles.

"We're going to have to go all the way, probably, down [Route] 29 into Tunkhannock, so it's actually going to be longer than the last time," Fisher added.

The last time was just last year, when PennDOT closed a bridge less than a mile away on West Nicholson Road. It's been reopened for only a few months.

PennDOT says to expect this bridge over Meshoppen Creek to be closed for another few months.

Even though Meshoppen Creek is only a few feet deep, PennDOT still requires a dive team to come out and routinely inspect bridges like this one. That dive team was there earlier this week and found that parts of the bridge underneath the water are washing away.

"They set up the detours and they mark them well, plus I'm familiar with the territory so I know where to go," said Carlton Ball.

Ball says he's used to the detour. Now he's more concerned about the condition of West Nicholson Road. PennDOT officials say it sees much more traffic these days because of the natural gas industry.

"I don't think these roads were made for the traffic that's on them today. They don't have the base, they don't have the drainage. That's my opinion."

PennDOT says they have to look at the scope of the damage to see how long the bridge is Springville will be closed.

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