Luzerne and Carbon counties jointly seeking state funding to repair the Tannery Bridge near White Haven

Luzerne and Carbon counties are jointly seeking funding to repair a bridge near White Haven that is owned by both counties.

Constructed in 1930, the Tannery Bridge crosses the Lehigh River and links Kidder Township in Carbon County and Foster Township in Luzerne County. The span intersects the Lehigh Gorge trail, which is part of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, and is located near the Lehigh Tannery Historic Site and Hickory Run State Park.

The bridge was reconstructed in the late 1980s and has a poor condition rating based on the most recent inspection, according to Luzerne County’s recent council meeting agenda.

Luzerne County Council voted in July to approve a joint application seeking a Multimodal Transportation Grant through the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority to fund the bridge rehabilitation.

Carbon County will take the lead and request $1,420,888 from the state for the project.

If grant funding is secured, each county must pay $72,500, for a total county match of $145,000, the agenda said.

Based on a projected plan, the project would include mortar pointing and repointing, concrete deck repair, remediation of bridge approach slab settling, installation of a concrete deck overlay and cleaning and application of a coating system on steel girders and related components, the county operational services division said.

Carbon County Commissioner Rocky Ahner attended a Luzerne County Council work session in July to discuss the need for the project.

Luzerne County Council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton said he was not familiar with the bridge and questioned if a full replacement would be necessary.

Ahner said he believes a rehabilitation will be possible, although officials won’t know for sure until they receive an engineering analysis.

One side needs some pier work, and the abutment is “dropping a little bit,” Ahner said.

Due to the construction of a new Interstate 80 bridge at White Haven, some road closures and detours are prompting more motorists to use the Tannery Bridge, the agenda submission said, adding that improvements are needed “to avoid closing down another bridge crossing.”

“It’s a small bridge, but it’s used a lot,” Ahner said of the Tannery crossing.

Council Chairman John Lombardo thanked Ahner for traveling to the Luzerne County Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre to explain the matter.

The state indicated both counties must sign a memorandum of understanding if the funds are awarded, Luzerne County Grant Writer Michele Sparich told council.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo said Thursday she recently met with Carbon County officials at their county seat in Jim Thorpe to discuss areas in which they can partner and share resources in the future.

“We share an extensive boundary line, and we want to be good neighbors with them,” Crocamo said.