NEW CASTLE —
Ninth Street in West Pittsburg is the proverbial accident waiting to happen.
Residents of this Taylor Township community are no doubt aware of the gauntlet of hazards they must run when they use this road. And more of them are using it now that Crazy Horse Bridge, which carries Route 168 south of West Pittsburg, is closed for replacement.
Unless you are familiar with Ninth Street, it’s difficult to envision the dangerous conditions drivers encounter. Turning onto the street from Galilee Road, the motorist immediately encounters — without warning — active railroad tracks. The tracks are at the crest of short, steep grade.
High weeds and brush in the area conceal the tracks and any train that may be approaching. There are signal lights at the crossing, but the driver sees them only at the last second.
After crossing the railroad tracks, drivers then encounter a narrow underpass, below a second set of railroad tracks. Typically, vehicles that meet each other at the underpass must wait their turn. Imagine sitting a few cars back in this situation, parked on the tracks, as a train approaches.
Just beyond the underpass is a 90-degree curve in the road, limiting visibility for oncoming traffic.
If you didn’t know better, you would think this section of road was designed specifically to test the concentration of motorists.
And if this wasn’t enough of a problem, there is also the matter of drivers who are either brazen or unfamiliar with the area. They continue north on Galilee Road after being detoured, and then go the wrong way through a one-way stretch of road on the north end of West Pittsburg.
The closing of Crazy Horse Bridge, combined with the replacement project of the Mahoning River Bridge on Route 18, has caused a dramatic increase in the amount of traffic using Ninth Street in West Pittsburg. PennDOT established a different route as its official detour, but that course sends vehicles miles out of the way, west of Route 18 to Mount Jackson.
Not surprisingly, plenty of people opt for the shorter drive on Ninth Street. And as the number of drivers on this route increases, so do the chances for a serious accident.
This week, various officials gathered near the railroad tracks in question to assess the situation. As a result of the inspection, there are plans to add signage and warnings. Also, CSX will be asked to cut brush to improve visibility.
All of these are good ideas, which we hope will minimize what will remain a bad situation. Frankly, there should have been an expectation of problems on Ninth Street prior to the Crazy Horse Bridge closure.
Regardless of the improvements, motorists in this area need to exercise extreme caution. Even if they are aware of the dangers, they shouldn’t assume other drivers are.
One mistake on Ninth Street could cause a lot of grief.
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EDITORIAL: Road hazard
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