Luzerne County revises largest bridge tally

The Shickshinny-Mocanaqua Bridge was omitted from a recent report on county-owned crossings, county Manager Romilda Crocamo told council Tuesday.

Tom Reilly, president of Reilly Associates in Pittston — the county’s outside engineer — told council during its Jan. 28 work session that the county had owned four bridges exceeding 100 feet. Reilly had said he did not include the Shickshinny-Mocanaqua span because he believed it had been acquired by the state at some point in the past.

In her Tuesday email, Crocamo told council, it has come to the administration’s attention that the county “does in fact own the Shickshinny-Mocanaqua Bridge.”

County ownership was confirmed with the help of county GIS/Mapping Director Dan Reese and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, she said.

The county road and bridge department is working to compile all inspection reports on that crossing for review, she said.

The Jan. 28 briefing by Reilly categorized the county’s approximately 300 bridges by size as part of a broader plan to catalog and prioritize work on all spans.

According to information supplied Tuesday, the Shickshinny-Mocanaqua Bridge on state Route 239 over the Susquehanna River is 880 feet long and was built in 1994. It is listed in fair condition overall.

The four other county bridges exceeding 100 feet: the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge connecting Nanticoke and the West Nanticoke section of Plymouth Township (2,072 feet); the Water Street (Firefighters’ Memorial Bridge) linking Pittston and West Pittston (1,500 feet); the Stephenson Street Bridge in Duryea (268 feet); and the “T-336” Bridge over Nescopeck Creek in Nescopeck Township (103 feet).

Reilly has said he will return to council with a progress report, which will include a list and priority ranking of all bridges.