As many Narrowsburg residents are aware, PennDOT is planning a major renovation of the bridge that links our town with Route 652.

This is a plea for sensible scheduling while the project is underway.

The upgrade, according to the experts, is essential to preserve the long-term viability and safety of a vital transportation link.

According to the recent PennDOT presentation at the Narrowsburg firehouse, the job will not be completed until 2018. The overhaul will require closing the bridge for periods of time on nights and weekends.

Therein lies the rub. We can’t afford to lose a single weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Our local businesses depend on the peak season to carry them through the rest of the year. And most of that activity takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

By most accounts, this past summer was a successful one for our shops and restaurants. The weather was spectacular with little rain on the weekends, insuring a strong and steady stream of tourists and second-home owners.

Of course, we have no control over the weather, now or in the future. Perhaps we can exercise some influence over PennDOT with respect to the bridge closings.

From an economic perspective, weekend closures in March or early April would be preferable to midsummer shutdowns. Post Columbus Day weekends are also a better solution.

We have adapted, with some inconvenience, to the reduction of bridge traffic to only one lane. But a total shutdown on a summer weekend would be an economic disaster, and a threat to public safety with respect to vital fire and ambulance services.

Mike Farrell

Narrowsburg, NY