Luzerne County has started a project to replace the 106-year-old, county-owned Harris Hill Road Bridge over Toby Creek in Kingston Township, according to a Wednesday release.
The county closed the 20-foot-long stone arch bridge in November 2023 due to foundation deterioration issues. It was built in 1920.
Demolition of the crossing is scheduled to begin next week, weather permitting, it said.
Targeted for completion by the fall, the new bridge will be concrete with metal supports, it said.
County Council unanimously voted in 2024 to earmark $1.9 million in county interest earnings from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to replace the bridge.
“This work is essential in making sure we have a new structure to handle bridge traffic in a heavily traveled area of the Back Mountain,” County Manager Romilda Crocamo said in the release. “While we do expect some inconvenience for travelers who have to detour around the bridge, there are detours in place, and we are asking for patience so work can proceed without any issues.”
The bridge is a major connector from Harris Hill Road to Route 309 through the Dallas and Kingston Township area, it said. Motorists are advised to continue using nearby Carverton Road or Center Street to access Route 309.
The county bid out the project in 2025 and awarded the bridge replacement contract to Fabcor Inc.
Pre-construction work involved relocating a nearby UGI Inc. gas line so the project could proceed without issues, it said. All necessary local and state permits have been secured.
Alfred Benesch Company Inc. completed the final replacement bridge design.