South Buffalo residents left frustrated after bridge abruptly closes

Crews suddenly blocked traffic Tuesday morning onto a wooden bridge that carries Clinton Road over railroad tracks in South Buffalo.

The 114-year-old structure, which provides one of the two ways in and out of the township’s Clinton neighborhood, is now barred by large concrete barriers on each side.

The subject of a longtime dispute between South Buffalo and the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad, the bridge’s structure is owned by the railroad while the township is responsible for its road surface.

Made entirely of wood, PennDOT rates the span’s deck condition as “poor” and its superstructure and substructure as “serious.”

But after an inspection late last week, South Buffalo Police Chief Jeff Kuntz said inspectors reported that the bridge required “critical repairs.”

The chief said the report noted issues with the span’s main timber beams, some of which were rotting.

That caused the South Buffalo supervisors to close the bridge as the township considers its next steps, Kuntz said.

“We understand it’s an inconvenience, but it’s definitely a matter of public safety,” the chief said.

Kuntz said the township sent out notices to residents, but it had to act quickly to close the road.

That decision blindsided some residents of the small Clinton neighborhood, who rely on the road for access to their homes.

Clinton resident Phillip Tompkins said he’s been complaining to the township about the condition of the bridge for about 10 years.

He said this latest closure is “frustrating,” especially because residents weren’t given any advance notice.

With the only access to the neighborhood via steep and gravely White Rock Road, Tompkins said he’s concerned about delays in emergency services.

But with only about a half-mile difference on White Rock compared to Clinton Road, Kuntz said he’s not expecting any significant hold-ups for first responders.

Carol DeAngelis, another Clinton resident, said the closure was a shock to the entire village.

“Why they wouldn’t inform us is beyond me,” she said

She said getting in and out of the neighborhood on the “treacherous” White Rock will be a “tremendous inconvenience.”

Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad spokesman Tom Ciuba said the company was notified of the closure on Tuesday morning. The railroad is “currently working with state and local agencies with respect to its reopening,” he said.

South Buffalo Supervisor Paul Bergad declined to comment, and Supervisor Joe Charlton did not respond to requests for comment.