Stony Brook Bridge Closing
October 12, 2008
Dear PRSD Families and Staff,
As many of you have heard, we are about to enter a long period of demolition and replacement of the Stony Brook Bridge on Rosedale Road. Over the last few weeks, district staff members have met with municipal and county representatives to gather information on the closure of Rosedale Road and to plan for transportation of students who will be impacted by the closure. The facts as we know them thus far are:
In the short-term, the bridge is not secure for use by large school buses. Therefore, parents of children who are already bussed on a route that used to cross Stony Brook have been notified if their children now need to be picked up earlier in order to take a longer route to school. Some other routes were changed to better accommodate all students and some smaller buses that can cross the bridge safely are being employed.
However, the bridge will close to ALL traffic on Rosedale Road after the county awards the bid for the work and construction begins sometime between late November and early January. At that time, it is expected that the road will be closed at the bridge for more than six months. This will necessitate several changes in bus routes, additional students will be eligible for bussing and there will be longer routes to JP, JW and PHS for many students. The district is already planning for those changes with the goal of having all arrangements operational a week prior to the closing of the bridge. If your student is affected by any change in bussing arrangements, you will receive a separate notice of that change.
This will also require changes in commuting routes for employees and will force more traffic onto Province Line Road and Carter Road...allow extra time!
Hopefully after all commuters in and out of town make adjustments to their routes and travel times the traffic and the morning rush hour, especially, will settle into a new rhythm.
Watch the school website for additional information in November and December.
Judith Wilson
Superintendent
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