YORK, Pa. — Traffic cones have become a familiar sight for drivers crossing the Queen Street Bridge in York. It's been nearly a year since the bridge was damaged by a dump truck.
Yet, drivers say it doesn't look like much work has been done to fix it.
“I don’t understand why it would take them so long to fix something," said Tonya Mundy, a York resident. "I've sat in traffic there for more than ten minutes just trying to get out of [the grocery store] parking lot."
“I just hope this gets fixed because it’s a real problem and a hassle," said Teddi Hesser, a fellow York resident.
The bridge was originally damaged in February 2022, when a truck hit the underside of the structure. Construction plans were then delayed when a second truck hit it less than six months later.
Local drivers say the resulting lane restrictions are adding more time to their commutes and backing up traffic.
“I was backed up onto I-83 with the traffic going 70 miles per hour, and when you try turning left onto 83 South, all of that is backed up," said Rebecca Rondeau, who works near the Queen Street Bridge. "It’s literally one lane for half a mile.”
A PennDOT spokesperson said construction delays are due to the damage caused by the two accidents, as well as a lack of materials needed to fix the bridge.
“There’s a lot of backlogs in terms of the different kinds of materials that are needed, and the availability of the materials needed," said Fritzi Schreffler, a spokesperson for PennDOT.
Schreffler said PennDOT now has all the materials needed to start construction and is planning to start work on the bridge in mid-September. She added that the project is expected to be finished by November.
“So really, before winter gets here, before bad weather gets here, before a lot of people are traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas, that bridge should be completed," said Schreffler.