Project targeted for mid June to stop erosion inching toward levee wall in Wilkes-Barre

Weather permitting, a $650,150 project to stop erosion creeping toward part of the Wyoming Valley Levee wall in Wilkes-Barre should begin in mid June, Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority officials said during Tuesday’s meeting.

Soil and rock have been sliding downhill at the site near the intersection of Riverside Drive and Academy Street, adjacent to the Black Diamond railroad bridge. Dirt must be replaced with large stone rip-rap to restore stability to the bank, officials have said.

The Susquehanna River must be down to 5 feet to initiate the project, and it is currently at 9 feet, officials said.

Authority Executive Director Laura Holbrook said the plan is to commence construction in June because rain is typically less likely, although she noted that wasn’t the case in June 2025.

The authority is also awaiting bonding and insurance certificates from the low bidder, DGR Excavating LLC, based in Granville Summit, Pennsylvania.

Authority Board members conditionally retained DGR last month, pending a review of documentation and a determination of how the project will be funded.

Holbrook said DGR indicated it will have no problems providing the bonding and insurance.

DGR’s bid price is good through May 8, which means the authority would have to negotiate an extension if it wanted to delay a final agreement with the company and keep the price locked in, she said.

Authority Board member Jay Delaney, who is Wilkes-Barre’s fire chief, said he does not support extending the timeline because the erosion is an “emergency threatening the structural integrity of the flood protection system.”

Delaney said he understands the authority has a fiduciary responsibility to seek additional funding, but he does not want any avoidable delays.

“The main reason I sit on the Flood Protection Authority is to protect the residents behind the levee. The structural integrity is our responsibility,” Delaney said.

Other members agreed. The board unanimously voted to continue pursuing funding opportunities for the remediation project, with the understanding that the project will proceed as soon as possible based on the contractor’s submissions and river level.

If no additional funding is obtained, the authority is prepared to tap its capital fund, which could impact other scheduled projects tied to the levee, officials said.

Authority Board Chairman Dominic Yannuzzi publicly thanked state Sen. Marty Flynn (D-Dunmore) for helping the authority secure $100,000 toward the project.

Flynn’s office said he is in the process of finalizing a legislative grant.

All legislators have been notified of the need, and Board Member Keith Moss said he and his colleagues must follow up with phone calls.

Substantial completion of the project will take approximately 45 days, Holbrook said.

Board member John Maday said that will be a “tricky process” because the river would have to stay low for that duration.

The contractor is aware of the dynamic and would have to relocate equipment to higher ground in that situation, Holbrook said, noting all protocols are addressed in the project manual.

An emergency action plan would be put into effect at the site if the Susquehanna rises before work is completed, authority officials have stressed.

As part of the project, scouring holes in the Susquehanna must be filled in that area to ensure the repairs remain stable, Holbrook had said. The solution also involves “very large rocks,” and contractor access to the site will be more challenging because it is surrounded by the flood wall, she had said.

Determined to hit the ground running, Delaney asked the administration to begin making arrangements with the city to move heavy equipment and stone through residential neighborhoods to reach the site, saying the project must be fully “shovel-ready.”