LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — The Firefighters Memorial Bridge, also known as the Water Street Bridge that connects West Pittston to Pittston, has been closed for almost a year, and it's undergoing a second inspection to see what can be done to reopen it.
This inspection will continue into next week, according to officials in Luzerne County.
From Skycam 16, we saw crews taking a closer look at the bridge, especially underneath.
People who live nearby hope this speeds up the solution process to get it reopened, even if just for emergencies.
"That's annoying," said Dan Brogna of Pittston. "Especially when you're trying to get somewhere, like you said, an ambulance or a firetruck. They have to figure a way to get them through a lot quicker."
The closure of this bridge only leads to more traffic on its neighbor, the Dale J. Kridlo Memorial Bridge, also known as the Fort Jenkins Bridge.
"It gets a little bit of backup. I guess it makes the area a little bit sluggish due to a couple of roads cut off," said John Wood of Pittston. "I thought at one point they're going to open back up, but I don't know. I guess they're trying to fix it. Wait to see what it looks like when it's done."
But even though there's activity here, it doesn't mean a solution is right around the corner.
"We're hoping that it would open very soon. But as they tell me, even if it starts to get repaired, it's going to be two years," said Maureen Brogna of Pittston.
Earlier this year, a spokesperson for PennDOT said once a solution is found, it could take close to five years.
"I just hope they do something on the other bridge, to put maybe a traffic light or stop signs to keep the traffic flowing," added Dan Brogna.
Officials with both municipalities tell Newswatch 16 they want this bridge to be open to traffic and hope this second inspection leads to the solution to make that happen.
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