Harrowgate residents fed up as intersection in Philadelphia remains unrepaired and closed for months

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — For months drivers have been captured on home security video crashing through barricades and riding right over a covered crater in the middle of the street. It’s been happening at J and Tioga streets in the city’s Harrowgate neighborhood.
“Oh a disaster, they just run over the sidewalks and run over the wood, it’s ridiculous,” said Miguel Rivera, who lives near the crater.
“They come flying down the street and at the last minute they see there’s a hole there,” said Rocco Mirra.
Neighbors tell CBS News Philadelphia they’ve seen several cars getting stuck between the planks of wood covering the crater after drivers ignore road closed signs and ride around the concrete barriers.
Cameras captured one driver Saturday night going onto the sidewalk around the closure.

Mirra said he helped a driver who got stuck just two days ago.
“I had to take a piece of a board and stuff it underneath her tire and make her back up slowly to get it out,” Mirra said.
Another video showed a driver go through caution tape, knocking over a barricade, and going up onto the sidewalk to go around the closed intersection. The same driver then crashed into a tree before eventually pulling away.
“For the last three months, three-and-a-half months it’s been like that, and nothing is going on,” Rivera said.

According to Rivera, the hole in the road opened up in March after a water main broke.
Now, neighbors said they’re growing more frustrated because they’ve been waiting for months to get the road repaired and reopened.
“Somebody is going to wind up seriously getting hurt in there,” Mirra said.
“There’s young kids and kids are curious playing around and someone can fall and get hurt in there. Just come out and fix it please,” said Theresa Tunney, who lives near the closed intersection.
CBS News Philadelphia brought those concerns to the city and called and emailed the Water Department asking when the road will be fixed, but so far have not heard back.
“I want this fixed and the street open, get the traffic going because it’s ridiculous out here,” Rivera said.