The Luzerne County Council in Pennsylvania has officially moved into the design phase for the $40 million West Nanticoke Bridge replacement project.
The 2072-foot bridge is a critical connector between Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke area of Plymouth Township. Built in 1914, the bridge has suffered major deterioration and section loss of primary, load-bearing elements. The county last rehabilitated the structure in the 1980s and recently closed it considering these findings.
While the design phase has been given the green light, further concrete details about the replacement project aren’t in circulation. The contractor selected for the design phase will develop and present three replacement options for consideration.
Over the next two years, the contractor will carry out a purpose-and-need assessment, historic bridge rehabilitation analysis and alternative analysis to identify critical project details. A technical scope and price for the project’s first phase have already been completed and is under review. Finalizing those elements will open the project up for gathering data on repair or replacement options.
Other factors that will be considered include:
- Traffic demands.
- Wetland and water impact.
- Environmental concerns.
- Threatened and endangered species.
- Archeological impacts.
- Utility work.
The county is favoring design plans to fully replace the bridge. However, repair has not been officially excluded as an option, though it has been rejected as a recommendation in past meetings.
To date, the county has been awarded $10 million in federal funding for highway projects. In addition, the county and the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority received almost $55 million in state gaming proceeds to kickstart the initiative alongside other work. The county will meet with stakeholders and gather public feedback throughout the design process.
While the construction date hasn’t been finalized, officials estimate that it won’t be until after the design phase is completed in two years.
Photo by Insa Osterhagen from Pixabay
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