Concrete barriers installed at closed Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge

Luzerne County has placed concrete barriers on both sides of the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge as part of the span’s closure, the administration announced Thursday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s closure signs remain in place, and the county has measured both sides for permanent fencing that will be installed to prevent trespassing, said the communication prepared by county Acting Operational Services Division Head Michele Sparich and Operational Services Project Management Director Nick Vough.

The county administration also held a meeting with the county’s outside engineer, Reilly Associates, to review long-term detour plans, it said.

Reilly Associates has forwarded this plan to PennDOT. Detour signs will be ordered in the next few days and are expected to be installed within three weeks, it said.

The county also ordered additional bridge closure signs to replace those on loan from PennDOT.

County Manager Romilda Crocamo closed the county-owned bridge over the Susquehanna River on March 20 after engineers performing an inspection found further deterioration and section loss of primary, load-carrying components.

In addition to $10 million in federal funding allocated through the state for this project, the county has access to a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.

Because federal funding is involved, the county must select an engineer to come up with three options to address the bridge.

As previously reported, county council voted this week on a process to streamline the selection of an engineer for the bridge replacement. Under this plan, a county administration team will review the statements of qualifications from all five engineering firm respondents and recommend the top three to county council, which will make the final selection.

PennDOT will publicly identify all five firms and the top three after the administration team makes its recommendation of the top three, in alphabetical order, to council, Vough had said.

With the closing, the alternate route is the Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway crossing, officially called the John S. Fine Bridge.

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

County Council Chairman John Lombardo said he will schedule a special meeting when council receives the three recommendations because council members must spend extensive time discussing and reviewing them.