Explanation released on why fire truck can’t use Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge

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Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo released an explanation Tuesday on why multiple vehicles are simultaneously permitted on the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge but not a fire truck.

The weight limit of the county-owned span over the Susquehanna River was reduced to 5 tons in May, which allows passenger vehicles but not fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles.

The Nanticoke Fire Department’s request for an exception allowing a fire engine to cross the bridge during emergencies was denied Monday. Its engine/pumper weighs 42,000 pounds, which equates to 21 tons,

Township Supervisor Gale Conrad had said she and many others are trying to figure out why a fire truck was denied access when the span can hold more than 25 vehicles during busy times, particularly when some are lined up on the bridge due to the traffic light.

Crocamo’s Tuesday communication to council was prepared by Edward Bosack, an engineer at Alfred Benesch and Associates, which conducted the load test.

Bosack said the load posting is governed by the impact on individual primary bridge load-carrying components, or members, that are exhibiting deterioration.

The truss is a “non-redundant structure,” which means a span will fail if it contains a primary member that fails, he said.

“The load posting ultimately prevents this from happening by taking away the much higher concentration of load on the member and allowing for smaller concentrated loads spread throughout the structure and acting primarily on different members to make its way back to the respective reactions at the abutments or piers,” it said.

The load posting for this bridge was based on an “axle/wheel loading,” not an overall loading on the bridge, he said.

Nanticoke’s fire truck has an 18,000-pound load on its front axle and a 24,000-pound load on its rear axle, he said.

Based on current consumer affairs studies, the average total weights are approximately 2,600 pounds for a small car and 6,600 pounds for a large truck or sports utility vehicle, he said.

“The fire truck axle/wheel concentrated load is far greater than any standard vehicle will produce,” Bosack wrote. “Therefore, the number of vehicles on the bridge may add up to a total weight greater than the fire truck weight itself but does not affect the load posting.”

When informing Nanticoke of the exception denial, Crocamo had specifically cited the impact on a deteriorated bridge diagonal tie bar member that is limiting the bridge capacity.

Nanticoke’s fire department had relied on the bridge to provide primary fire/rescue coverage to Plymouth Township’s West Nanticoke area on the other side of the river. Depending on location, other township sections are covered by fire departments in Larksville, Plymouth and Lake Silkworth.

These fire coverage changes stemmed from the 2019 disbanding of the township’s Tilbury Fire and Rescue Station primarily due to financial issues.

Without the exemption, 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.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.