Public meeting scheduled on options for two Pittston-West Pittston bridges

A public meeting to present future options for two bridges linking West Pittston and Pittston has been scheduled on May 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said Thursday.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the Wyoming Area Secondary Center on Memorial Street in Exeter.

At issue are the Luzerne County-owned Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge (Water Street) and state-owned Spc. Dale J. Kridlo Bridge (Fort Jenkins) over the Susquehanna River.

The county-owned bridge has been closed since August due to concerns over a bent eyebar, causing significant vehicle congestion. Traffic on the nearby state bridge has increased from 12,000 vehicles to 20,000 per day with the county span out of commission, officials said.

Under an agreement approved by county council this week, the state will assume responsibility for the design and construction of a yet-to-be-finalized solution for both bridges.

The county would only pay 5% toward the cost of refurbishing or replacing its bridge, with the rest coming from state and federal funding. However, the state transportation department would have the option to terminate the agreement if it does not receive the federal or state funds necessary to complete the project.

Multiple options are under consideration, including rehabilitating one bridge and replacing the other, rehabilitating both bridges or replacing both bridges.

An estimated $50 million would be needed to replace both spans, which includes river surveying, design, permitting and demolition of the current bridges, county Councilman Brian Thornton has said.

Traffic analysis of roadways in Pittston and West Pittston is underway to help determine the best course of action for the project, according to a Thursday project update from the region’s state transportation department Community Relations Coordinator Jessica Ruddy.

The upcoming public briefing follows a presentation of options to public officials from the county, Pittston and West Pittston.

After public comment is received, the state will complete its analysis of alternatives so that one may be selected and advance to design, Ruddy said.

The current project schedule calls for approval of an option in August, completion of environmental clearance by May 2024 and the release of bids by November 2026, she said.

“Recognizing the impacts to the communities resulting from the closure of the Water Street Bridge, the department will strive to accelerate the schedule,” Ruddy said.

Thornton said he will push to speed up the pace because he does not believe it is acceptable for residents to wait five years for construction to commence and two or three more years for project completion.

Bottlenecks have become a public safety concern and are starting to “crush the local economy,” Thornton said.

“I hate to think that condition is going to exist the next seven years,” said Thornton, noting he looks forward to attending the May 4 meeting.

Thornton has said there is an “enormous amount of deterioration” on both bridges.

The proposed agreement with the state said the county must continue to maintain its bridge after work is completed.

County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo said Thursday the county administration sought the bridge bundling agreement with the state for efficiency and because the county does not have the funds needed to cover the entire project.

To address immediate concerns, Crocamo said she has been meeting with state transportation officials to discuss safety in the impacted areas, including the possibility of adding traffic signals and rerouting traffic.

She plans to attend the May 4 meeting.

“I’m committed to advancing the project as best as I can,” Crocamo said.