DICKSON CITY, Pa. — Dundaff Street has finally reopened to traffic after a pipe failed back in May during a heavy rainstorm.
Geyser-like waters were shooting out of manhole covers, forcing debris all over the street and into properties. A drainage pipe clogged and failed during the heavy rain.
More than six months later, we found crews putting the finishing touches on the project to reopen Dundaff Street to traffic, a welcome sight for neighbors in this area.
"They had to dig, and re-dig and re-dig, and they replaced all the sewer lines, all the gas lines, all the water lines. It's like a brand new street," said Dickson city resident Alex Kasperowski.
Michael Ynghilardi owns Carmalt, a nearby takeout place. He says the construction and detours have been difficult for the restaurant.
"Customers have been very good to us, and we're really grateful because they've all had to find alternate routes, and the changes are day-to-day. They move the signs, they move the cones, so we're pretty excited to get our access from Main Street back."
Neighbors in this Lackawanna County community say they didn't expect this project to take as long as it did to finish.
Dickson City officials say cleaning out the debris from the pipe took longer than expected and hope this kind of damage won't happen again.
"We hope that this is a once in a lifetime thing. We certainly never wish this would happen again. It was a big strain on finances for the borough and our resources. It certainly was difficult for all the residents here that experienced flooding and the businesses that are here, the church, and the funeral parlor, that had to deal with the traffic issues, not being able for people to get through," said Dickson City Borough Manager Cesare Forconi.
"You can only get so frustrated," Ynghilardi added. "It's outside of your control, and the last couple of years are really a lesson for all of us and how to deal with things that are outside of your control and to try and pivot and cope."
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