ROBESON TWP., Pa. – For 25 years, Shades of Green has been a local staple in Robeson Township.
“We’re a homestyle, down-to-earth kind of place. Everybody’s friendly; everybody’s happy. We serve as much fresh food as we possibly can, and we have very good specials,” said owner Marsha Rhodes.
But now, a major road closure just outside is changing the flow of traffic.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation shut down part of Route 724 in Robeson Township to replace the bridge over the Allegheny Creek.
PennDOT says the new bridge project is expected to be finished by October.
Some drivers are cutting through Old River Road, while others are avoiding the area altogether.
“It’s annoying for people here,” Rhodes said. “I do have two people that probably aren’t coming tonight, only because they are afraid that they can’t walk across the street fast enough. You have to be quick now. There’s too many people going here, and they’re so fast, and they really need to slow down.”
Still, she’s staying optimistic.
“That’s why I’m not really afraid of the road because people will come here for us,” Rhodes said.
Officials say drivers should not be using Old River Road as a shortcut.
“They should be avoiding that. And again, it’s only for local traffic,” said Robeson Township Manager Osmer Deming.
PennDOT says work will start Monday to replace the Route 724 bridge over Allegheny Creek in Robeson Township.
That’s because the bridge is already in poor condition.
“This has been downgraded to a Level One bridge, the lowest rating an engineer can assign,” Deming said.
The concern is that too much traffic could make things worse.
“The worst-case scenario is that the bridge would basically crumble and become unusable,” he said.
The recommendation is to follow the detours to Route 422 and have some patience.
For now, Rhodes is staying open and creative.
“We’re just going to keep our specials exciting,” she said.