The Bridge Between Chaos and Construction: Taking a Look at Connellsville

contributing student writer: bianca Stupka

There’s the overwhelming sound of turn signals, car horns, and screeching brakes on Pittsburgh Street. Dozens of cars line up, eager to make it past the too-quick traffic lights. There’s little order to the chaos; only the common goal of escaping the unforgiving afternoon traffic brings these people to an understanding.

And just one block away, there’s a complete and eerie silence. There are no cars, no pedestrians, and no attention paid to this part of the street. What can be found here is this: several large barriers in the middle of the street, workers in neon green reflective vests, and a bridge stripped bare as it splits Connellsville in two.

Construction on the McCray Robb Bridge, also known as the Crawford Bridge, started at the beginning of January 2024.

The construction is expected to continue until the end of 2024.

With only two bridges in the city crossing the Youghiogheny River, pedestrians heading from either side of Connellsville must all travel the same way, over the remaining working bridge. Of course, this has led to heavy traffic throughout the area.

Even with multiple detours to direct traffic, the influx of drivers down Pittsburgh Street has been an uncontrollable event that requires adaptation by city residents. There’s a growing sense of frustration among residents, whether noticeable while sitting through traffic or while simply talking about the construction efforts as a community.

“It adds an extra five minutes to my drive to see my family,” said Charity Ohler, who grew up in Connellsville and now lives on the west side of the McCray Robb Bridge. “The construction just seems so difficult for no reason. I’m not sure about it.”

This presents a common question posed by Connellsville residents: how necessary is the reconstruction of the McCray Robb Bridge?

The improvements made to the bridge during this construction include larger sidewalks and bicycle lanes for travelers, heightened side barriers for the bridge railings, and is expected to lengthen the bridge’s lifespan by 20 years.

Many residents are curious about how these changes will impact their daily route and how successful they will be once they’re fully implemented to the bridge.

“I support the construction. I think it’s important. But I don’t know that the bridge needs all of these adjustments. I mean, how many people will really utilize those bike lanes and sidewalks?” Said Ashley Ringer, a South Connellsville resident who travels through Connellsville and the detours every day for school and work.

However, even with the shared feelings of confusion, frustration, and stress that the crowded roads and construction have caused, there is still an appreciation by residents.

“The bridge definitely needed fixing. It’s felt unstable for a while,” said Makinzie McCrea, who lived in Connellsville for several years before moving to Dunbar. She has recently been browsing houses in Connellsville with the intent to come back to her roots, showing no concern over how the construction or detours may impact her move. “The construction might be annoying now, but I think we’ll all feel safer after it’s finished.”

With construction still ongoing, the effects and success of the new bridge have yet to be seen. Residents can only view the construction through the lens of it inconveniencing them and interrupting their routine. However, while residents located both in and outside of Connellsville share differing views on the overall construction of McCray Robb Bridge, there does seem to be an overarching feeling of safety when hearing about the care put into the bridge’s reconstruction.

For now, Pittsburgh Street and the west and east sides of the bridge contain the sound of a hundred unsettled residents mumbling about construction necessity, traffic, and five-minute detours. There are no known absolutes when traveling down a road as chaotic as this one.

The only certainty is this — when the end of 2024 brings the construction to a close, the residents will share a collective sigh of relief.