Update meeting scheduled on Pittston/West Pittston bridge replacement plans

As promised in March, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has scheduled a meeting to update the public on replacement plans for two bridges linking Pittston and West Pittston.

The meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday (May 8) at the Wyoming Area Secondary Center Auditorium, 252 Memorial St. in Exeter to present details and seek public input on plans for the Luzerne County-owned Water Street Bridge (Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge) and nearby state-owned Spc. Dale J. Kridlo Bridge (Fort Jenkins) over the Susquehanna River.

PennDOT had indicated a meeting would be held when it provided a project timeline that county Manager Romilda Crocamo sent to county council in March.

This timeline estimated the Water Street Bridge will be torn down in the summer of 2026. The span closed in August 2021 due to concerns over a bent eyebar.

Construction of a new replacement bridge is projected to start in spring 2027, the timeline said.

Traffic on the Fort Jenkins crossing has increased dramatically since the county bridge closure. The state agreed to assume responsibility for the design and construction to replace both bridges but had cautioned completion will take years.

According to Wednesday’s state release announcing the public meeting, the Water Street span will be replaced first. The first half of the new Fort Jenkins Bridge will be built off alignment to accelerate the construction schedule. After the new Water Street Bridge is complete, traffic will be diverted to this crossing so contractors can remove the existing Fort Jenkins Bridge and finish constructing the remainder of that new span.​

It said the project also will include:

• Reconstruction of the Route 11 (Wyoming Ave) and Route 92 (Exeter Ave) intersection and the Route 11 and North Main Street intersection to accommodate the new bridge and address pre-existing traffic deficiencies.

• Modification of the intersection of Water Street with Route 2037 (Kennedy Blvd) and reconstruction of Kennedy Boulevard and associated ramps.

• New sidewalks, curbing, pavement markings and drainage throughout the reconstructed project limits.

Online information, including detailed project information and a comment form, are posted on the PennDOT District 4-0 website under the Route 11 Section 350 Bridge Replacement Project.

Under the county’s agreement with the state, the county will only pay 5% toward the cost of demolishing and replacing its bridge, with the rest coming from state and federal funding.