POLK TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Drivers in one part of the Poconos no longer have to wait in long traffic lines now that a bridge repair project is finished in Kresgeville.
For about eight months, drivers like Austin Sphar from Pocono Summit say they tried to avoid this area of Kresgeville while crews worked to replace the Middle Creek Bridge on Route 209.
Construction work forced one lane of traffic to close and that created a lot of backups.
But now, work is done and the bridge is back open in both directions.
"I was spending a lot of time looking for alternative routes to get to where I needed to go," Sphar said.
Work on the bridge started back in June as part of PennDOT's rapid bridge replacement project.
Cindy Gosselin from Kunkletown says she's been waiting for the project to wrap up for quite some time.
"Thank God!" Gosselin said. "It's been a long time, and it's been a pain because you have to sit in long lines before the light would change and sometimes you had to go through it three or four times a day, so it's great that it's open."
Not only are drivers glad that the bridge is finally open, but they are also happy to see some noticeable changes.
"It's wider and it's better," Frank Burns said. "It's not bumpy like it was before, and it feels like it's more secure."
"I've noticed that the road is smoother, and it's a little bit wider which is very good," Sphar added.
PennDOT officials say paving will be done when the weather warms up this spring.