LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — This one-lane bridge in Lackawanna County has carried thousands of cars for decades. After a part of it collapsed on Tuesday, it could take years for cars to travel on it again.
The bridge also carried many memories for Brenda Spangenberg of Benton Township.
"It was nice under there. It was cool. There was an echo of the water. You could hear the water flowing under the bridge. I spent a lot of my childhood in that creek and enjoyed the bridge."
But what has served as a way from one side to the other for Spangenberg and her neighbors will be no more. Earlier this week, a structural failure forced the stack stone overpass to close until further notice.
"Well, I knew it was gonna be. I was talking to the engineer, and he said that they would have to close it indefinitely two or three years before they were able to open it again," said Spangenberg.
County officials say construction could start as early as 2027. That's not particularly problematic for Brenda. However, the others who live in and visit the area now have to use a nearly 4-mile detour.
"For those who use the Lake Sheridan Beach, that's gonna be a roundabout way for them to get there," added Spangenberg.
With the structure's future uncertain, Spangenberg plans to hold on to the memories of the bridge that stretches across her life.