‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’

Students frustrated over prolonged bridge construction

Orange barriers, yellow bulldozers and dusty rubble restrict students' access to the bridge which is the quickest way to the gym parking lot. — Orange barriers, yellow bulldozers and dusty rubble restrict students’ access to the bridge which is the quickest way to the gym parking lot. Heather Ciaramitaro | The Waltonian

As many of you are aware, the bridge on Chamounix Road by the gym has been out for a long time now. It has been under construction since last semester. Many students are frustrated that this bridge is not fixed yet. Sophomore Andrew O’Brien says, “It is an inconvenience to all, not just for the students of Eastern, but also for the students of Cabrini and the people who live in the neighborhood.”

Whether you live at Eastern or not, the bridge has been closed for too long. It certainly makes it harder to get to places like the Shell Station on Lancaster Ave. The bridge being closed also makes it harder to get to places like Chipotle or Five Guys.

Not only is the bridge an inconvenience, but it is also an eyesore to the area. The incomplete bridge does not look good on the area. The rest of the area looks great: there are beautiful houses and nice looking trees everywhere, and there’s a lake near the bridge. The unfinished bridge sticks out as an unattractive member of a normally beautiful and natural landscape. Having a bridge closed for this long, regardless of reason, tends to reflect poorly on those in charge.

What is even more frustrating is that it seems as if the township is not even trying to fix this bridge. Since the bridge went down last semester I’ve seen construction workers working on it around three times. That is inexcusable. There should be no reason for it to take this long to replace a bridge or to make some sort of attempt to fix it.

With the bridge being closed it also means walking back to campus is more dangerous for students. One Saturday night my friends and I decided to go for a walk into Wayne. On our way back we forgot the bridge was closed and started walking toward it. When we got to the construction site we had to make a left and walk down Eagle Road in order to get back to campus. Remember, Eagle Road is not the safest route for people to walk on as drivers have difficulty seeing pedestrians at night.

It is time for Radnor Township to finally fix the bridge, making the neighborhood traveler-friendly and aesthetically-pleasing once again. We can only hope this bridge will be ready by the start of next semester but at this pace the bridge might not be ready until well after this school year is over.