Johnstown Inclined Plane reopening delayed

Storm damage, power outages due to severe weather delay reopening date

Despite CamTran officials proclaiming the Johnstown Inclined Plane would reopen Friday, mother nature had other plans as severe weather caused road closures, storm damage and power and cell service outages throughout the area Thursday night.

Passenger service at Johns­town Inclined Plane was originally intended to reopen Friday following the completion of an extensive rehabilitation project that included engineering improvements, safety testing and regulatory approvals.

However, due to the storm damage and outages in the Westmont area, the reopening was delayed to a future date that hasn't been determined.

Westmont Borough declared a state of emergency Thursday due to the storm-related incidents and hazardous conditions, according to the West Hills Regional Fire Department's Facebook page.

A post the fire department made about 10:35 p.m. Thursday advised people to stay out of the borough while emergency crews worked to clear the area.

A follow-up post the department made about 9:17 a.m. Friday -- about an hour and a half before the reopening ceremony was scheduled to take place at the Inclined Plane -- stated the area was still under a state of emergency and advised people to avoid Westmont Borough and Lower Yoder Township unless absolutely necessary.

John Conroy, CamTran's marketing and communications director, said CamTran doesn't have a firm timeline for reopening the Inclined Plane at this point.

The loss of power is only part of the issue, he said, adding Thursday's storm also impacted their internet and communications service, which CamTran officials need for operations, including registers and phones.

Some of the storm damage in the area -- downed trees, utility poles and power lines -- still needed to be addressed as of about 3 p.m. Friday, Conroy said.

"Crews are working to restore services, but given the extent of the damage, we don't want to speculate on a reopening date until we know those services are fully restored and we can safely and reliably operate," Conroy said. "We'll share an update as soon as we have a clearer timeline."

Johnstown's Inclined Plane closed in 2021 for a major rehabilitation project that has hit multiple snags with its reopening, with Thursday's storm being the latest setback. CamTran has been transparent about the challenges with continual press releases posted on the Inclined Plane's website throughout the years.

Initially, the rehabilitation required significantly more time than what was originally anticipated due to the historic nature of the facility, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain challenges, foundry closures and additional engineering needs identified as the work progressed.

Additional evaluation, design revisions, component fabrication, testing and regulatory review were required before the Inclined Plane could safely return to passenger service, according to the website, www.inclinedplane.org.

On Aug. 10, CamTran announced one of the passenger gate locks was found to be malfunctioning and not operating as designed while the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and the State Safety Oversight Program were conducting an inspection of the Inclined Plane.

As a result, the Inclined Plane did not receive the required certification to reopen to the public. Since then, a new passenger gate locking mechanism was installed and is functioning as intended, CamTran officials said, noting representatives from both agencies were scheduled to inspect the passenger gate lock Thursday, when the reopening announcement was made.

"We all want the Inclined Plane to reopen, with safety serving as our guiding principle from the outset," CamTran Executive Director Rose M. Lucey-Noll stated in an Aug. 28 press release.

The Inclined Plane is considered to be the world's steepest vehicular incline plane, and it symbolizes the city's resilience, innovation and history.

According to its website, the Inclined Plane carried almost 4,000 residents to safety in March 1936 when flood waters ran through Johnstown -- nearly 47 years after the Johns­town Flood of 1889, when 2,209 people lost their lives in the city's largest flood in history.

In the most recent flood to hit Johnstown, in July 1977, the Inclined Plane again carried people to the safety of higher ground, as well as carrying boats, emergency personnel and equipment down to the valley to aid in rescue operations.

A sign posted at the Inclined Plane states that it was built as a direct result of the 1889 flood.

"In July, 1889, the Cambria Iron Co. announced plans to develop this hilltop as a residential suburb and to build an incline to provide direct access to the city. The Inclined Plane was opened on June 1, 1891, and the borough of Westmont grew quickly as residents continued to rebuild after the great disaster," the sign states.

"This historical landmark has forever etched a special place for itself in the hearts of locals and tourists alike."

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.