STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The buzzing of machinery is a constant sound at the site of the Glenbrook Road Bridge Project in Stroudsburg.
“It’s very loud, the pumps run 24/7. So, we can’t open a window.”
Resident Joan Fitzgerald lives right next door to the closure since it was damaged in August 2020 by tropical storm Isaias.
Bringing old media back to life at the ‘Dead Media Room’"They made this much bigger site than I ever anticipated.” . . . “It’s just disappointing that it looks like this and it’s taking so long.”
28/22 News last spoke to Fitzgerald back in July when the deadline was set to be completed in December of 2024.
According to PennDOT that deadline has since been extended to the fall of this year due to the stream being an environmentally sensitive area.
“It’s a high-quality trout stream, it’s also a trout spawning area and they’ve stocked the stream with trout we are restricted by Pennsylvania Boat and Fish Commission for having the contractor be in the stream at all,” says Ron Young of PennDOT.
Construction crews have been restricted from working on the project during trout season and can’t begin back up until June 1.
The contractor, Kriger Construction, has been designing the project as they build it. Needing to make changes throughout, such as using a "sheet pile system" with steel barriers.
Fitzgerald says she understands the obstacles crews are dealing with but says she just wants it to be done with to get her property back.
"Sometimes we have to wait, especially when they’re delivering steel. Sometimes I have to park my car up the street.”
Penndot officials say they understand the frustrations of local residents but say when it comes to bridge replacement projects there are a lot of moving parts as they’re built to last up to 75 years or longer.