PROSPECT PARK, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) -- Thousands of drivers who rely on the Route 420 southbound bridge in Delaware County will need to find another way to get to I-95. PennDOT says the bridge needs major repairs.
The bridge over the Darby Creek was closed late Wednesday because of a failed inspection. It will be closed indefinitely because it needs some major repairs.
PennDOT says more than 19,000 cars and trucks take the route over the bridge every day, so a lot of people will have to adjust their commutes.
Prospect Park Police Chief David Madonna tweeted Thursday that there are large signs and barricades; social media, TV and radio reports; helicopters in the sky and police officers on the ground -- all warning about the closure -- but that has not kept people away from 420 southbound.
PennDOT says the bridge has "a significant beam and bearing pedestal deterioration." Engineers are working on a plan to fix it, but there isn't really a clear timetable for when the bridge will be fully repaired and good to go. The construction bid is expected early in the new year, so it's not at all clear how long it will take, from start to finish.
A neighbor said he wasn't surprised by the closure. He said he stopped using the bridge's pedestrian walkway on his morning walks a while ago because he was worried about the condition of the bridge.
The recommended detour is Chester Pike to Stewart Avenue. That will get drivers to northbound I-95, past the closure, and back onto Route 420.