At Nanticoke’s request, several Luzerne County officials recently met with city leaders to discuss the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge replacement project, county Manager Romilda Crocamo said Wednesday.
Crocamo had 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 Crocamo, five county council members attended the April 16 session with Nanticoke leaders, she said: Council Chairman John Lombardo, council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton, LeeAnn McDermott, Jimmy Sabatino and Brittany Stephenson.
Three legislators also participated, Crocamo said: U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R-Dallas Township), state Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Lehman Township) and state Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-Hanover Township).
Also in attendance were former state Sen. and current Luzerne County Community College President John Yudichak, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 4 District Executive Rich Roman and representatives of area communities, Crocamo said.
Crocamo said the meeting focused on the “critical need for a crossing over the Susquehanna” in that area.
“During the meeting, all parties expressed a unified commitment to achieving this goal as expeditiously as possible. The federal, state, and county elected officials acknowledged the importance of enhancing connectivity and accessibility for the communities served by this crossing,” Crocamo’s Wednesday update said.
While recognizing the urgency, all participants emphasized “safety must remain the paramount concern,” it said.
“All representatives agreed that any plans moving forward will prioritize the safety of the public and the integrity of the infrastructure,” it said. “This collaborative effort underscores a shared dedication to both progress and safety, paving the way for a successful and secure crossing solution over the Susquehanna.”
Crocamo’s update said discussions will continue, and she expressed particular gratitude for the support and input from Bresnahan, Baker and Ryncavage.
In the previous bridge update earlier this month, Crocamo said the project engineer selection process was underway.
County council voted in March to streamline procedures by allowing a county administration team to 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.
The administration team has completed its evaluation to determine the top three and submitted its evaluation forms and rankings to the PennDOT’s central office for its approval, Crocamo had said. Upon PennDOT approval, the firm names will be publicly released, she said.
When this occurs, Lombardo said he will immediately schedule a special meeting to hear technical presentations from the top three firms.
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 develop three options for the bridge.
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.