An aging bridge across the Susquehanna River is permanently shut down due to safety concerns.
The county-owned Broadway Street Bridge links the City of Nanticoke with the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Twp.
Its sudden closure comes in response to a recent inspection that found "advanced deterioration of load-carrying members," Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said Thursday.
"Luzerne County is working in coordination with PennDOT District 4 to implement this closure. Additional information regarding the closure will be available at a later date," she added.
PennDOT officials on Thursday said any information about the closure would be released by Luzerne County.
Built in 1914, the steel truss bridge carries about 6,300 vehicles each day, of which 500 are trucks, according to this report on The Lackawanna/Luzerne Metropolitan Planning Organization website.
Last rehabilitated in 1987, the bridge's weight limit for vehicles had been downgraded twice in recent years, to 15 tons in 2020 and then to 5 tons last year.
The weight limits — and now the closure — have raised concerns not just about traffic, but public safety, as Nanticoke City fire and ambulance crews serve communities on the west side of the river in Plymouth Township.
The nearest crossing is the Route 29 bridge, roughly a mile — and several minutes — north.
The bridge closure is expected to "increase emergency services response times by at least 3 minutes depending on weather and traffic, increasing costs and risking loss of life, health complications, or severe injury," the online report states.
In the opposite direction, it is a 10-mile drive south to the next nearest public bridge, connecting Shickshinny and Mocanaqua.
County officials were working on plans to come up with replacement options for the bridge prior to its closure. It is expected that the work would draw on a mix of funding sources, including federal and state dollars.
“The closure of the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge is a major challenge for our community. While this is a county-owned bridge, I’ve been in touch with Luzerne County officials and have offered my full support as they work through this transition," state Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R-Luzerne), said Thursday.
“I have been in contact with the governor’s office to make sure this issue gets the attention it deserves and to ensure government doesn’t get in the way of a swift solution. I will have the backs of our first responders and work with local officials to make public safety my top priority for all those affected," Ryncavage added.
“As I continue to work with everyone involved to push for the fastest possible solution, I will keep you updated as we learn more," he said.
