Luzerne County closes Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge due to inspection findings

The Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge over the Susquehanna River is closed due to recent inspection findings, Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo announced Thursday.

Crocamo said closure of the county-owned span is necessary “in the interest of public safety” because the inspection detected advanced deterioration of load-carrying bridge components, according to an email she sent to council.

The closure will be permanent as the county pursues bridge replacement options, Crocamo said.

The county is in the process of selecting an engineer who must come up with three options to address the bridge.

In addition to $10 million in federal funding allocated through the state for this project, the county has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.

The weight limit of the bridge was reduced to 5 tons last May, which allows passenger vehicles but not fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles.

Inspections were required every six months due to the bridge’s condition, officials had said.

Totaling 2,072 feet, the bridge connects Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township. The crossing was constructed in 1914 and last rehabilitated in 1987.

Three options were already presented for the bridge early last year by Alfred Benesch and Associates, which had been hired by the county before federal funding was involved.

However, the county must start from scratch in determining a solution for the bridge because federal funding has been allocated to the project through the state, officials have said. Benesch’s work thus far cannot be applied to the final project because the selection process for the engineer must go through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation procurement system, officials have said.

Crocamo said the county is working in coordination with PennDOT to implement the closure, promising additional information at a later date.

“The public’s cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated,” Crocamo said.

Plymouth Township Supervisor Gale Conrad said she and other residents and officials “assumed this sooner or later would come” because of the bridge’s age and condition.

While nobody is happy about the situation, the community must adapt, Conrad said, noting Pittston area residents have experienced traffic congestion since the August 2021 closure of another county-owned span — the Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge (Water Street) Bridge — as they await a replacement crossing.

Conrad said she is particularly saddened for businesses that will suffer from the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge closure but said the county cannot risk collapse of the span while it is carrying vehicles.

“Safety is obviously the most important to everyone,” Conrad said.

Nanticoke Fire Chief Mark Boncal expects more congestion, especially during rush hour, in the area of the alternate route — the John S. Fine Bridge, which is the official name of the Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway span.

“Believe it or not, a lot of cars went over that bridge,” Boncal said of the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke crossing.

Before the weight limit downgrade, his city fire department had relied on the bridge to provide primary fire/rescue coverage to the township’s West Nanticoke area on the other side of the river. Response times have increased, but Boncal said crews are still arriving on scene in less than eight minutes for emergencies.

He hopes plans for a replacement bridge progress as quickly as possible.

“We understand it will be years,” he said.

State Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-Hanover Township) issued a statement describing the bridge closing as a “major challenge for our community.”

“While this is a county-owned bridge, I’ve been in touch with Luzerne County officials and have offered my full support as they work through this transition,” Ryncavage said.

He also has contacted the governor’s office to “make sure this issue gets the attention it deserves and to ensure government doesn’t get in the way of a swift solution,” his statement said.

“As I continue to work with everyone involved to push for the fastest possible solution, I will keep you updated as we learn more. Thank you for your patience as we tackle this together,” it said.