Bridgeport working to update Lodgeville, Emily Drive intersection

Red light after red light and traffic backed up in every direction. That's what drivers deal with on a daily basis at the Emily Drive and Lodgeville Road intersection.

The intersection has such a long list of problems that city officials are pushing to get it updated with help from the Division of Highways.

"It's hard to get in to Eastpointe, and it's really hard to get up Lodgeville Road to the plaza's up there by Gabes," said Bridgeport Mayor Andy Lang. "There are a lot of bad accidents there, and it's bad for the fire department to build a pass through there when the traffic is backed up trying to get to the interstate."

Pat Omara, one of Brickside Bar and Grill's owners, says the intersection has been a problem as long as he can remember, with congestion and accidents often blocking the way into his business.

"There is one accident, maybe two a week between us and the intersection there," said Omara.

In fact, an hour after leaving Brickside there was an accident across the street; proving how often the crashes can happen.

Now that the state has the $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity Bond, Bridgeport is hoping to work with Clarksburg and the DOH to put some of that money into an intersection update.

"The state has got this Road to Prosperity Bond, so they do have more funds than what they've had in the past. So of course that's our desire to work with them and get our share of what needs to be spent here," said Mayor Lang.

Officials don't know yet what the fix would be for the intersection, but plan to bring the area to the DOH's attention after the holiday season.