ROBESON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – After about six months of construction and detours, drivers in Robeson Township can once again travel across the Route 724 bridge.
The new bridge over Allegheny Creek opened Thursday following a ceremony attended by officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, as well as state Rep. Mark Gillen and community members.
Gillen said the opening is expected to help ease congestion caused by drivers exiting Route 422.
“This is something the community’s been looking forward to for a long time, and we’re pleased that the state has delivered today,” Gillen said.
Gillen also thanked PennDOT for completing the project on schedule. Construction began in April to replace the previous bridge, which was about 70 years old and needed to be rebuilt.
Tim Bitler, chairman of the Robeson Township Board of Supervisors, thanked everyone involved in the project, especially those who helped keep construction on schedule and the public informed.
Residents also expressed relief as the bridge reopened, citing the inconvenience of detours and traffic congestion during construction.
“They did an awesome job on it,” said Darryl Maurer. “I’m going to jump in my Jeep, and I’m going to drive across it.”
Cory Michael said the six-month closure was difficult, but felt the wait was reasonable given the need to reopen the bridge.
Ruth Rapposelli said the detours made everyday travel more difficult and welcomed the reopening.
“This has been a big problem,” Rapposelli said. “Going around the bypass, that’s so rugged there. This makes our life so much easier. [I’m] very happy about it.”
The new bridge is expected to provide service for about 100 years before needing replacement again.
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