SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — Route 309 in Rush Township, near Tamaqua, just got a little busier. The already highly traveled road is now part of a detour for a bridge closure.
The bridge on Lincoln Drive has been shut down since September. PennDOT says it's due to the deterioration of the bridge and safety concerns.
But Hometown Fire Department volunteers, like Tom Klein, say the bridge closure is also a safety concern itself.
"If we have a fire at this end of the stretch on Lincoln Drive, we have to go proceed to (Route) 309 all the way up. It could take minutes, minutes could cost a life," Klein said.
Klein says it also causes problems when crashes shut down Route 309.
"We used to be able to send them down Lincoln Drive to (Route) 54 to continue to (Route) 309. Now that's impossible with the bridge being out."
PennDOT says the bridge needs to be replaced and that takes time. It's currently in the design phase and will be at least a year or even longer until it reopens.
"Two years? That's a long time, especially when you can replace a bridge in Philadelphia in less than two weeks," Klein said.
We reached out to several officials, including Rush Township supervisors, who did not want to comment on the bridge replacement.
State Sen. Dave Argall sent a statement to Newswatch 16:
"As a Rush Township resident, I know this stretch of road well. It's frustrating for everyone when a key bridge like this is closed. I have asked PennDOT to expedite this issue—the sooner, the better!"
However, PennDOT says it is moving along as quickly as possible.
Check real-time conditions traffic conditions with the WNEP Traffic Tracker.
PennDOT updates are available HERE.