Luzerne County provides Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge update

Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo released a status report on the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge replacement project Tuesday and said she will be providing monthly updates on the project’s progress.

Crocamo had closed the county-owned bridge over the Susquehanna River in March after engineers performing an inspection found further deterioration and section loss of primary, load-carrying components.

County council voted in August to hire Modjeski and Masters Inc. as the engineer to develop three replacement options — a step necessary because federal funding is involved, officials have said.

Tuesday’s update said Modjeski and Masters has compiled a technical scope and price for the first phase of the project, and both are now under review by the county and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 4-0. A formal contract agreement also is underway.

Once the technical scope and price are finalized, Modjeski and Masters can start gathering data for repair or replacement options, it said. While repair remains cited as an option, it had been rejected in a past recommendation largely due to the risk of underlying issues that may be masked by rusting.

A notice for Modjeski and Masters to proceed is anticipated in November, which will allow the first phase of scoping to begin, Crocamo’s update said.

In addition to the public updates, county officials will continue to regularly meet with stakeholders to address their questions and feedback, it said.

The federal government earmarked $10 million for the project. The county also has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.

Since the bridge closing, the alternate route has been the state Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway crossing, officially called the John S. Fine Bridge.

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