New State Street bridge in Sharon under way

SHARON, Pa. — Most days, there isn’t a seat to be had at Niko & Lou’s Coney Island Restaurant during the lunch rush.

But since May, there have been vacant spots at the lunch counter and booths since direct access to the State Street eatery has been blocked by the construction of a new State Street bridge.

“I lost probably 15 to 20 percent of my sales,” said owner Nick Fatimus. But he’s not complaining. “I’ll get them back,” he said. “I’ll just absorb the losses.”

Fatimus realizes it’s only a temporary inconvenience while the bridge is constructed.

The old span, built in 1916, had serious deterioration to the point where pedestrians could see the water through the deck.

Mayor Bob Lucas said the construction of a new bridge was a long time coming because the old span’s condition in recent years kept weight limits low, causing some detours of traffic.

For the complete story, see Sunday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.