Design sketches released for bridge linking Pittston, West Pittston
The design is scheduled for discussion at Tuesday's council work session.
County Manager Romilda Crocamo said the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wants council to provide feedback and approval on the design because the county owns the crossing — officially named the Firefighters' Memorial Bridge — over the Susquehanna River.
PennDOT had agreed to assume responsibility for replacing the closed Water Street Bridge because it is part of a bridge bundling that also will replace the nearby state-owned Spc. Dale J. Kridlo Bridge (Fort Jenkins) Bridge.
County Council Chairman John Lombardo said Friday he was impressed with the proposed new look, which features striking lighting.
"I think it is an amazing design and will be a fitting replacement for such an impactful structure in between the two towns. It will also be a perfect tribute to the first responders who are memorialized in its name," Lombardo said.
Tom Reilly, president of Reilly Associates in Pittston — the county's outside engineer — told council earlier this year the Water Street project is expected to be bid out in late 2026, so work can commence at the end of that year. This is a hard deadline due to $18 million in federal grant funding earmarked for the project, he had said.
The Water Street Bridge closed in August 2021 due to concerns over a bent eyebar, prompting a dramatic traffic increase on the Fort Jenkins span.
Tuesday's council work session follows a 6 p.m. voting meeting at the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions to attend remotely will be posted under council's online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
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