ROBESON TWP., Pa. — For six months, Dave Wolfe has lived with longer trips, but also a much quieter road.
“I’m glad it’s going to open because we go that way a lot to go over to the doctors and stuff like that,” said Wolfe, who lives in Gibraltar.
PennDOT said crews are finishing the guardrails and weatherproofing on the Route 724 bridge. Township officials said it could reopen by the end of next week.
“I’ve spoken with the bridge foreman from Aguirre Engineering, and he has indicated that that bridge is still on target to be opened by the end of next week,” Robeson Township Manager Osmer Deming said.
“The only thing that could delay it at this point would be inclement weather,” he added.
Meanwhile, the nearby Old River Road bridge remains closed.
The township said heavy trucks ignored detour signs and continued crossing it, forcing officials to close the bridge for safety.
“Because of that excessive heavy use, we were forced to close the Old River Road bridge,” Deming said. “And our engineers have told us that we made the right decision in doing that in terms of safety for the public.”
That bridge will not reopen anytime soon. Federal money for its replacement is not expected to become available until 2030.
No official celebration is planned for the Route 724 reopening, but township staff and residents are excited for when the barricades finally come down.
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