CLIFFORD -- Frustration over a bridge project in one community in Susquehanna County has reached a boiling point.
In Clifford, folks are fed up over work on the Creamery Bridge.
"Jeepers, I mean everybody that lives in this town has been frustrated,” said Richard White of Clifford.
"It's been nothing but a hassle and these people do not work with me at all. They promised, promised, promised, gave nothing.”
Work to replace the bridge began in late August. Folks in the small community were told it would be complete by mid-November. It's still not finished.
Richard White owns a business, White’s Garage, near the bridge and says he lost his well water to his property when crews dug the pilings for the bridge. He's been without it for months. He's had to bring a water tank onto his property, which costs thousands. White has contacted a lawyer about the situation.
"The next day after they pounded that piling in the ground, I'm out of water and I've had two well drillers down here saying, 'Rick, it's their fault.'"
The bridge work is part of the state's rapid bridge replacement project.
PennDOT awarded the project to Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners, which then gave the bridge projects to different subcontractors.
The Creamery Road Bridge is a fairly small one and people living in the area can't understand why it's taking so long.
They say they've asked questions, but haven't gotten many answers.
"Something that was supposed to take 72 days and not it's been about 7 months, it's been a little frustrating,” said Meghann Boylan of Clifford, who has to drive a detour to take her children to and from the bus stop.
The detour is roughly five miles around the bridge, so Justin Fletcher's driveway has become a bus stop for kids living on the other side of the bridge.
"The bus can't come down the road now because it's closed and they can't turn around anywhere."
Part of his property has also become a pedestrian detour and a detour for tractor trailers using businesses on the other side of the bridge.
“I want this to be done with. My kids want to come outside and play. It's a beautiful day today, but we have to watch out for trucks and random cars that want to go through that don't want to make the four-mile detour to go back around,” said Fletcher.
At this point, people we spoke with call this a never-ending nightmare. They say enough is enough. They want their problems fixed and this project finished now.
“I don't know where they are, they forgot about Clifford I guess,” said White.
Folks in Clifford say about two weeks ago, the bridge opened for just a few hours then was closed again and crews haven't been out working since.
