LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — "The initial reaction to the bridge being open, I couldn't wait to come home, just to drive up the road to get to my driveway within you know five minutes of being on 315," said Ken Avvisato of Pittston township.
He is finally finished with long wait times after construction crews reopened Suscon road bridge Wednesday afternoon.
"Everybody was going nuts every day," said Avvisato. "Like there was people calling the borough and stuff like saying when is it gonna open."
Avvisato lives on the northbound side of the bridge and was forced to use detours anytime he left his home.
"There's still a lot of traffic, but it's easier to come in, it's easier to go out," said Avvisato. "I mean just going into town was just a pain in the you know what."
The seven million dollar project opened a year ahead of schedule according to officials from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The project started back in early June. Crews tore down the old bridge and built a new higher one put in it's place.
"It's better to have a few bangers up there jacking the bridge than it is having 200 to 300 vehicles a day up and down this hill," said John Fagotti also of Pittston Township.
The bridge reopening marks an end to what was a peaceful break for Fagotti, who lives on the southbound side of the bridge.
He fears the bridge reopening will lead to old problems coming back.
"It's a curvy road there's a narrow shoulder," said Fagotti. "You know there's people that live here, children, a lot of families here live along the side of this hill here, a lot of vehicles with families. Be careful when you come down the hill."