Resident urges multi‑borough push for new flyover bridge after repeated truck jams

Dwayne Schulte, a Homestead Borough resident and member of the Homestead Council, asked Monroe Borough Council on June 17 to join a multi‑municipality effort urging Pennsylvania’s transportation secretary to build a new flyover bridge near the waterfront to reduce recurring traffic blockages.

Schulte told the council he has documented incidents in which large vehicles became stuck at the Flyover Bridge, blocking ramps and backing traffic into the waterfront area. “If there's a truck jammed up and can't get through that flyover bridge and we have a train stuck on the tracks,” Schulte said, “the entire intersection from 837 into the waterfront was backed up,” creating a potential public‑safety problem.

The request follows meetings Schulte said he attended with state officials, including Secretary of Transportation Michael Carroll, and calls for coordinated letters from boroughs and county officials. Schulte asked Monroe Borough Council to add its name to a letter he plans to send to the secretary and to work with neighboring boroughs and county officials on the matter.

Why it matters: Schulte argued the bridge problem could slow emergency responders to large venues near the waterfront. He cited the AMC theater as a particularly high‑occupancy site and warned that new housing—he said a proposed development would add about 220 units split roughly 100 units in West Homestead and 120 in Homestead—could increase congestion in the same corridors.

Council response and next steps: Councilors present agreed to Schulte’s request informally during the public‑comment period, and a representative told him they would work with him on a letter. No formal motion or vote was recorded in the minutes; councilors indicated support and asked Schulte to coordinate drafting and to provide data about businesses and traffic counts for the waterfront area.

Background and constraints: Schulte noted a posted restriction at the Flyover Bridge that reads “no vehicles over 40 feet,” but said tractor‑trailers and other large trucks continue to enter and become stuck. He described past local meetings with state aides, county officials and regional economic groups and said the estimated cost for a new flyover would be roughly $100 million, requiring state and regional cooperation to advance.

What remains unresolved: The council did not adopt a formal resolution at the June 17 meeting. Schulte said he would contact waterfront businesses and coordinate with West Homestead and county officials; he also said he planned to contact the governor’s office and other stakeholders. The request for council support therefore currently stands as an informal, council‑endorsed advocacy effort rather than an enacted municipal policy.