NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. — The Dooker’s Hollow Bridge is set to be imploded Saturday, just steps from a nearby business, and neighbors are on edge.
“We’re literally 20 feet off the bridge,” said Gumpher Inc. owner David Gumpher.
Gumpher said two weeks ago he was blindsided when he was told the bridge was coming down. His electrical contracting business provides 24-hour emergency services, including fixing generators for major hospital systems. The bridge is now braided with boxes of dynamite.
“Literally, in some cases, it’s life and death. We have to show up,” Gumpher said.
He said project managers told him his business might not be accessible for three to six months.
“We can’t afford to be disrupted. We’ve been through a difficult year with the pandemic just like everybody,” Zach Gumpher said. “I was really really shocked how they looked at our business.”
Neighbors and businesses below the bridge were told they could stay inside during the implosion. There will be seismic monitors outside their homes and in some cases, the demolition contractor boarded up their windows.
“It concerns me they first decided not to implode. Now they’ve changed their tune,” Charlene Schorr said.
Their worries aren’t over once the bridge comes down. The road is going to be raised, and people in the area could be dealing with issues for weeks.
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