Luzerne County must select engineer for Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge solution

Luzerne County must start from scratch in determining a solution for the deteriorated Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge because $10 million in federal funding has been allocated to the project through the state, officials said.

The regimented process involving the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will start with a search for an engineer that must come up with three options, said county Manager Romilda Crocamo.

Three options already were presented for the bridge by Alfred Benesch and Associates, which had been hired by the county to determine the “best and most economical option.”

Benesch originally recommended largely replacing the existing bridge but later advocated construction of a new bridge to the west. A third full rehabilitation option was presented but not recommended.

However, Crocamo said Benesch’s work thus far cannot be applied to the final project because the selection process for the engineer must go through the PennDOT procurement system due to the county’s receipt of the $10 million.

Benesch was retained by the county engineer’s office in January 2023, when the county was not yet part of the state Transportation Improvement Program that is allowing the $10 million allocation, she said. Benesch had already issued its recommendations by the time the $10 million funding was secured and announced in April.

The county’s only other funding source for the bridge is a $55 million casino gambling fund established for county infrastructure.

County council will still have final say on which option is selected, Crocamo said.

There also will be public presentations and opportunities for public input before a decision is reached, she said.

It’s similar to the procedure PennDOT followed for the upcoming replacement of another county-owned span over the Susquehanna River — the Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge (Water Street) linking Pittston and West Pittston — but the county will be taking the lead for the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge project, she said.

PennDOT had agreed to assume responsibility for the Water Street Bridge project because it is part of a bridge bundling that also will replace the nearby state-owned Spc. Dale J. Kridlo Bridge (Fort Jenkins) Bridge.

Here’s a summary of the engineering consultant selection policy and procedure that must be followed, according to a proposed agreement presented at last week’s council work session:

An advertisement seeking statements of interest must be submitted to appear in PennDOT’s Engineering and Construction Management System, known as ECMS.

The ad must include selection criteria so engineers submitting proposals understand how their submissions will be reviewed.

Prospective engineers must be registered in the ECMS system and provide qualification packages prior to submitting statements of interest.

At least two weeks must be allotted for responses.

A county committee must review the qualifications and submissions and recommend three engineers to advance, documenting the reasons for its recommendation.

The following will serve on the committee: Crocamo, council Vice Chairman Brian Thornton, county Operational Services Division Head Jennifer Pecora; and county Operational Services Project Management Director Nick Vough.

County council must then review the committee recommendation and select three firms to recommend to PennDOT so the state agency can request technical proposals from the three.

The county committee must review the technical proposals and rank the three, documenting its reasons.

Council must then review the committee recommendation and complete its own ranking, in order of preference, for submission to PennDOT.

PennDOT must approve and/or comment on council’s recommendation for the state agency to proceed to the next step of negotiating an engineering agreement with the chosen engineer. PennDOT must prepare a final agreement to be signed by the county.

Crocamo must designate a person to perform liaison activities between the county, PennDOT and the consultant.

Council is expected to vote on the PennDOT process at its next meeting Aug. 13.

Constructed in 1914, the bridge connecting Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township was last rehabilitated in 1987.

The weight limit of the bridge was reduced to 5 tons in May, which allows passenger vehicles but not fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles.

Nanticoke’s fire department had relied on the bridge to provide primary fire/rescue coverage to Plymouth Township’s West Nanticoke area. Because the fire department’s request for an access exemption was denied, the city fire truck must reach Plymouth Township by crossing the river over the alternate route now in effect — the John S. Fine Bridge, which is the official name of the Route 29/South Cross Valley Expressway span.