August 3, 2006 Issue                                       

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

City officials close bridge, repairs set for two-way traffic
by JENNIFER KATZ

Amid complaints of motorists’ blatantly disregarding the new one-way lane on Willow Grove Avenue Bridge, the city streets department reconsidered its position on doing the repair work necessary to reopen the bridge two ways.

According the Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller (D-8th district), the city decided to re-close the bridge after multiple motorists were observed disregarding the one-way signage during routine monitoring by the streets department.

“People were not obeying the one-way restriction,” said Miller. “And the streets department felt that because it’s a short thoroughfare, the likelihood of an accident was very high.”

Since the bridge was re-opened as a one-way two weeks ago, residents in the immediate vicinity have spoken out about the dangerous conditions. Mark Schwemler lives at West Springfield Avenue and St. Martin’s Lane. His children are picked up and dropped off for school a stone’s throw from the bridge.

Schwemler said even before the bridge closed, traffic patterns in the area were a problem. “At certain times in the morning and evening,” he said, “commuters, school bus routes, and lots of people on their way to drop off kids at CHA and Springside all converge on these intersections, often challenging each other for the right of way.” The closure of the bridge greatly multiplied these problems, said Schwemler.

Streets department officials did not respond to repeated inquiries about what prompted the re-closure of the bridge and what will happen next.

Last week, Councilwoman Miller admitted that she was unaware of the problems regarding the one-way restriction and vowed to ensure pedestrian and motorist safety.

Also, several residents expressed their concern after harrowing near-miss accidents left them shaken. Both Emily Baker of Seminole Street and Charlotte Feldman, who also lives in the immediate vicinity of the bridge, described witnessing first-hand multiple drivers ignoring the one-way direction of the bridge, nearly crashing into oncoming traffic and cyclists.

As a result of the concern for safety, several community leaders contacted the streets department hoping to persuade the city to make the bridge safer. Among them was Susan Pizzano, vice-president of the physical division for the CHCA.

“I was concerned that it was going to take several years to fix the bridge,” said Pizanno. “And we have all of those schools there that will be starting classes again soon.”

Although there has not been an official statement from the streets department, Councilwoman Miller said that the plan is to build “plank” sidewalks over the existing unsafe sidewalks and reopen the bridge in both directions. There is no word on how long the work will take to be completed.

Contact staff writer Jennifer Katz at 215-248-8804 or jenn@chestnuthilllocal.com.