Okay, show of hands, who’s not happy about the timeline to knock down and erect a new Firefighter’s Memorial Bridge between Pittston and West Pittston?
Other than a security fence placed at the entrance of the bridge on both sides of the river, nothing has been done, with the exception of studies and engineering design.
I know local officials would rather the project begin as soon as possible, but tearing down the bridge in the summer of 2026 seems like a lifetime away.
We can hope demolition starts in 2026; UGI has to relocate a gas line that the bridge carries underneath the span. I bet most of you didn’t know that. That’s a pretty scary thought knowing a gas line has been attached to the 110-year-old bridge.
Let’s not forget the bridge closed in August 2021, so waiting five years before any action is done is a very long time and everyone has been enduring the congested drive time traffic going to and coming from work.
A planned traffic light at the intersection of Wyoming and Exeter avenues will be put in place and I’m still not sure how PennDOT will figure the logistics of that configuration. I think it’s going to take a host of Rhodes Scholars to figure out the traffic pattern or someone who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in three seconds. The world record is 3.13 seconds.
According to a Times Leader article, construction of the new bridge won’t start until 2027 — barring any issues with the gas pipe and other outside influences like a flood.
All the design work is in the preliminary phase with a final design set for the fall of 2024.
I don’t know much about the layout of the new bridge other than what I was told by Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo.
The mayor said the new structure will be wider than the current one and should have a walkway on both sides.
He also said a wider right hand turn from Kennedy Boulevard onto the bridge is in the proposed plans.
I also know the route will be the same as the old one, so no new direction, just a straight shot from Luzerne Ave. to Water St., just a wider span.
I haven’t seen an estimate of how long it will take for the bridge to be completed, but I would think at least two-years without verifying that.
One cool note on the Firefighter’s Bridge, Lombardo said he’s received permission to take some of the span’s metal structure and recycle it for building projects in the city. That move will not only spare good metal from the scrap pile, but it will be awesome to see the former Water Street Bridge live on in other capacities, and it will save the City of Pittston money for future projects.
According to the Times Leader article, the estimated cost to replace the Firefighter’s Bridge is $20.5 million.
So with a bit of luck, perhaps the new bridge will be completed by 2030. Then we will have to start the process all over again when the Spc. Dale Kridlo Bridge will be replaced.
I would think the traffic logistics of replacing the Kridlo Bridge would be difficult at best. Approximately 20,000 vehicles now cross the span since the closing of the Firefighter’s Bridge.
When Kridlo will be closed, Luzerne Avenue, Water Street and Kennedy Boulevard will be a very busy place and I hope the widening of the Firefighter’s Bridge will be sufficient for the amount of traffic it would have to handle.
Because the Kridlo Bridge is primarily concrete, maybe it wouldn’t take as long to demolish.
At this rate, I would think completion of both bridges would be by 2035. I sure hope I’m wrong and it happens way sooner.
After speaking to Lombardo, he is not happy by any of the timelines announced by the state. We have waited too long for this to happen and he said he would do his best with the resources he has at his disposal to push both bridge projects up as fast as possible.
More on the bridges project from Lombardo in next week’s edition of the Sunday Dispatch.
A public meeting on the bridge’s update is scheduled for May. I hope officials find a large enough space for that meeting. I propose one of the high school stadiums would be appropriate because there are a lot of Greater Pittstonians and beyond who are not happy.
Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said, “These projects take time, and there’s a reason why they take time, and in the long run, we’ll be in a better place when we have the new bridge in West Pittston and Pittston, but we have to be patient and let the process work out.”
No doubt local government officials and residents of Pittston and West Pittston and surrounding communities who utilize both bridges have been patient enough.
The latest timeline is unacceptable. Bureaucratic red tape must be cut.
Quote of the Week
“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot—it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.” – Maya Angelou
Thought of the Week
“It’s your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don’t take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.” – Betty White
Bumper Sticker
“Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbon.” – Ann Ruth Schabacker
