Route 54 reopened after lengthy closure forced school district to virtual instruction

KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Frontier Communications crews work on utility lines near Lakeside Beverage on Route 54 on March 13, 2023.

BARNESVILLE – Route 54 in Barnesville has reopened after a lengthy closure.

Frontier Communications crews were on site Monday afternoon working on the utility lines which had been down since Sunday afternoon near Lakeside Beverage.

The downed lines and delayed response from the Connecticut-based utility company, which has a maintenance facility a mile west in the village, kept Route 54 closed well into Monday and prompted the Mahanoy Area School District to move to virtual instruction.

A garbage truck downed a utility pole and the wires attached to it Sunday afternoon.

Ryan Township firefighters said PPL Electric Utilities responded promptly and repaired their infrastructure, while Frontier did not, instead providing an estimated response at midweek.

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