WILKES-BARRE — PennDOT announced two bridge repair projects — one is the South Street Bridge in Wilkes-Barre, and the other is on Tank Road in Black Creek Township.
PennDOT said the South Street Bridge project will repair the existing bridge to sustain a safe crossing at for the facilities below.
The project involves preservation repairs to the crossing South Pennsylvania Avenue, South Wilkes Barre Boulevard, South Baltimore Drive, South Welles Street, and the local railroad track in the city.
Repairs will be made to the existing 17-span reinforced concrete open-span arch, pre-stressed concrete I-beams, rolled steel I-beams, and pre-stressed concrete adjacent box beam bridge. They include replacement of the compression seal joints at the piers, grinding and re-welding of stitch welds, concrete repairs, debris removal, painting of steel super-structure and stringer bearings, crack-sealing in the sub-structure units, and replacement of damaged chain like fence and hand hole cover.
Additional roadway improvements include repairs to the far approach roadway and replacement of the damaged guiderail.
No utility impacts or required right-of-way are anticipated to construct the project.
According to PennDOT, the project is expected to be built under short-term lane shifts of South Street traffic. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained over the bridge at all times during construction. Short term single lane closures on South Baltimore Drive, South Wilkes-Barre Boulevard, and South Pennsylvania Avenue may also be needed for the concrete repairs, painting, welding, and crack sealing in this area.
Historical or cultural resources present within the project site include the former Central Railroad of New Jersey, former Lehigh Valley Railroad, and O’Karma Terrace (Boulevard Townhomes) playground.
PennDOT said the project will have negligible effect on these resources and no other site resources will be impacted as part of the project.
The plans display will be held online and will be available from Sept. 3, to Oct. 1.
The purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project, display and describe the planned traffic control, and receive public input regarding questions or concerns with the project.
The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested.
Black Creek Township, Tank Road project
PennDOT invites the public to a plans display regarding the Tank Road Slope and Pavement Repair Project.
This plans display will be held online, and plans will be displayed for public viewing (while following all COVID-19 safety protocols) at the Black Creek Township municipal building.
The Tank Road Slope and Pavement Repair is located approximately 6.1 miles west of PA Route 93 and 3.9 miles north of Rock Glen.
The purpose of this project is to address the deteriorating Tank Road pavement and slope between the roadway and Nescopeck Creek. The existing roadway is currently reduced to a single lane controlled by stop signs due to the pavement reduction.
The project will include soil nailing stabilization of the existing slope from the toe of the slope immediately adjacent to the stream to Tank Road. The upper portion of the slope will be reconstructed using a Geosynthetic Reinforced Slope (GRS) to support the roadway.
Tank Road pavement will be rebuilt adjacent to the slope repair area to restore two lanes of traffic onto the corridor. Guide rail replacement and stormwater improvements are also proposed.
The roadway at the project site will be closed to all traffic and detoured during construction and is expected to be closed for no longer than 6 months.
The project is currently in design and is planned to be let in March 2026. Construction work is anticipated to take place from the spring of 2026 to the fall of 2026.
The plans display will be held in-person and online. The in-person plans display will be held at the Black Creek Township municipal building, 1980 Tomhicken Road, Bloomsburg, on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. The digital version of the plans display will be available from Aug. 13, 2024, to Sept. 13, 2024.
The purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project, display and describe the planned detour, and receive public input regarding questions or concerns with the project.