SANATOGA PA – The East High Street bridge is officially closed.
Barricades at either end – on the east, at Sanatoga Road, and on the west, near Allison Drive – went up shortly after 7 a.m. today (Monday, June 14, 2010). By 8 a.m., crews had already torn up and removed the road surface on portions of both the east- and west-bound lanes. Drivers must now find alternative ways to get around the work, which will continue through late August.
The detour endorsed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation takes drivers mostly over U.S. Route 422, between the Sanatoga interchange at Evergreen Road and the Armand Hammer interchange at Armand Hammer Boulevard.
But drivers who either failed to heed or did not see the bright orange detour signs were somewhat bewildered when they arrived at the bridge and didn’t know where to go next. On the west end, most turned back toward Armand Hammer Boulevard.
A few headed west illegally tried to circumvent the problem by turning left and north through the Berean Bible Church parking lot, down Skytop Road to North Sanatoga Road, and right and south on North Sanatoga Road to East High Street. Don’t attempt this, Lower Pottsgrove Police warn; it’s the same as trespassing on private property, and they, the church, and the adjacent Sanatoga Ridge Community all intend to pursue violators.
A majority headed east who wound up at the closure turned right and north onto North Sanatoga Road, drove to the end and its intersection with Pleasantview Road, then turned left and south down Pleasantview to East High Street.
A longer alternative from the same point is to turn left and south onto South Sanatoga Road to its end and intersection with Linfield Road, turn right and west past the Sanatoga Trap Rock Quarries to the “Y” intersection at South Pleasantview Road, then turn right and north onto South Pleasantview and continue past K-Mart to East High Street.
No alternative is perfect; each has its own set of cautions. The wise driver, PennDOT reports, will stick to the designated by-pass over 422.
Related (to the East High Street bridge):
- Sanatoga Bridge Torn Up; Choose Alternate Route
- Bridge Closing Affects School Buses This Week
- Plans Ready For 422 Emergency When Bridge Closes
- Bridge Work Started, But You Might Miss It
- PennDOT To Fine Contractor For Bridge Work Delays
- Traffic Pattern Shifts Ahead At High Street Bridge
- State Says High St. Bridge Repairs To Cost $2.2M
- PennDOT Offer Sanatoga Bridge Work Timeline
- Details Are In That Pesky Paperwork
- PennDOT Set For Meeting On Bridge Work
- Missing Walks Latest Bridge Complaint
- Will Road Be Closed When School Re-Opens?
- State Says No To Keeping Bridge Open
- Township Looks To Pols For Bridge Help
- Bridge Closing Threatens Businesses, Board Says
- Sanatoga Bridge Closing This Spring
- Bridge Repairs Next Year
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