Second grant awarded to eliminate unpopular fencing barricade atop the levee in Edwardsville

A project to eliminate an unpopular fencing barricade atop the Wyoming Valley Levee in Edwardsville has received a second grant needed to complete the work, officials said Wednesday.

The fencing was installed in April 2023 to prevent the public from crossing an intersecting active Norfolk Southern Railway train line.

It was considered an unwelcome obstruction by many accustomed to freely walking, biking, and jogging on the path between Edwardsville and Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre.

That displeasure and repeated cutting of the fence by those seeking to pass through prompted the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, which oversees the levee, to seek grants for another public safety solution. Norfolk Southern has also expressed a willingness to consider removing fencing if the authority develops a strong new design that meets its requirements, authority Executive Director Laura Holbrook has said.

In February, the authority secured a $561,000 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation grant through the Automated Red-Light Enforcement (ARLE) program, which aims to improve safety at intersections.

That grant would cover design, but authority officials had said additional funds were needed to pay for construction.

This week, the authority learned it will also receive a $638,080 federal Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, or TASA, earmark for the levee crossing project that can be used for construction. PennDOT spokesperson Jessica Ruddy and county GIS/Planning and Zoning Director Dan Reese confirmed the award approval on Wednesday.

The project will reconnect a popular trail that was blocked by the rail operator, said Reese, who was involved with the grant request through his work with the Lackawanna/Luzerne Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“This will allow pedestrians and cyclists along the levee trail to continue from Wyoming Avenue to Kirby Park without any barriers,” Reese said.

TASA provides funding for transportation alternatives, including off-road pedestrian and bicycle projects, according to online information. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, continued to fund the program through 2026, it said.

Holbrook said Wednesday the project is important to the public.

“The project itself removes a physical barrier from the trail and connects people with nature and the community, and we’re thrilled to see the investment in active recreation,” Holbrook said. “It’s definitely the kind of infrastructure that makes a community healthier and connects us all together.”

The first step will be working with the railroad to reach an agreement on an acceptable new pedestrian and bicycle crossing option, Holbrook said.

She expects the design will include arm gates that block the path when trains are coming through, along with lights and sounds to serve as visual and audio warnings. More signs and a requirement for cyclists to dismount and walk their bikes through that section also may be included, she said.

Meetings will be held with surrounding communities to ensure their feedback on the design, she said.

Holbrook said she is preparing to reach out to Norfolk Southern because she obtained verification Tuesday that the ARLE grant agreement has been finalized.

She has emphasized fencing must remain in place until another solution is designed, approved, and completed. The rail crossing is near the Wilkes University women’s softball field and Kirby Park tennis courts.

Norfolk Southern, which owns the land containing the track, required the fencing as part of an agreement granting the authority permission to modify the crossing so a gate system could be quickly installed when the Susquehanna River rises, eliminating the need for more than 1,500 sandbags, the authority said.

While the path atop the levee is technically for maintenance purposes, recreational use is permitted because the flood control system is in an urban environment, the authority has said.