Go east, young man, go east

MATAMORAS — Port Jervis was reopened to Pennsylvania on June 30 when PennDOT reopened the interstate bridge two-way traffic. The Port Jervis Bridge has been closed to eastbound traffic since the beginning of April. The closure caused major delays of up to 30 minutes for Port Jervis-bound drivers requiring them to take the interstate east from Matamoras and then circle back to Port Jervis. The three lane bridge still has one lane closed because much of the construction and repair equipment is taking up one of the lanes on the north side of the bridge. Many retail stores on both sides of the bridge suffered a drop in sales because of this change in traffic flow according to members of the Port Jervis Common Council at a recent meeting. The bridge work by Minichi Construction of Wilkes Barre includes repairs to the steel structure’s beams and joints and repainting to prevent further deterioration of the 71 year-old structure. The cost for the project is estimated at $2.6 million. According to bridge painter Gary Rutkoski the rest of the repairs could take as long as three months but will most likely be completed sooner.