Meadville Bridge Closed
A closed Crawford County bridge is creating quite a headache for many business owners and residents. The historic Mead Avenue Bridge was shut down last month because of eroding conditions. Now county officials say it won`t be opening anytime soon. Crawford County commissioner Morris Waid says the 136 year old bridge will stay closed for at least the next 2 years. Several studies including a needs study and an alignment study must be completed before any physical changes take place. At this point, its not known whether the bridge will remain closed permanently or whether it will be restored or a new bridge will be installed. Nearby business owners say waiting years for something to happen with the bridge is unacceptable. They say the structure is a major artery into Meadville and without it, business will suffer. Local residents say the bridge closed once before back in 1990. At that time, at least three businesses went under, blaming the closure.
