Goshen College underpass draws hundreds
GOSHEN, Ind.-- There may not be any fireworks in Goshen for the Fourth of July, but folks still got a good show.
Construction crews were busy from midnight on July 3 throughout the day on July 4, racing the clock to complete the pedestrian underpass at Goshen College.
And the chaos drew a crowd!
Most people just stopped by to watch the huge project come together. But, there were a few folks who made the construction watch party their holiday celebration.
The barbeques, lawn games and cooling tents made the site look like any other Fourth of July picnic.
“It just happens once in a lifetime, “ said Edith King, a Goshen College neighbor. "We’re in the neighborhood so we couldn’t miss it,” added her husband, John.
But instead of firework the people at Goshen College are watching construction!
“My estimate would be about 300 people,” said Glenn Gilbert of the crowd. “Some have stopped in for a few minutes, some of have spent hours here.”
The big show started just before midnight on July 3 when the final train went through. Then, crews got started pulling out tracks and installing the tunnel.
“It’s fun to watch this about once an hour and then they’re standing- you know you cant see anything interesting for awhile,” said Ryan Rittenhouse, a Goshen College employee and alumnus.
Rittenhouse was one of the many spectators who brought his family and invited his friends to watch the progress on the construction chaos.
“We brought lawn games, we brought the tent we brought the grill. It’s like hey, anyone who wants to, bring food, we’ll throw it on the grill we’ll have a good time and every once in awhile we’ll stop and see what they’re doing.”
But, without fireworks this year, some people in Goshen are just happy to have a reason to “oooo” and “ahhh.”
“I think it’s awesome,” said Myrna Burkholder, a Goshen College alumna. “I just can’t believe they can do so much in one day or 24 hours. But, I know with the equipment they have and the plans they’ve made they’ll be able to do it.”