Local Commentary

By Jack Smiles jsmiles@psdispatch.com
Times Leader Staff Writer

The new Eighth Street Bridge is finished, but the east side entrance isn’t. Motorists traveling south in Jenkins Township have to negotiate a sharp turn around a construction barrier to get on the bridge.

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Construction is at a standstill on the turning lane from River Street onto the new Eighth Street Bridge in Jenkins Township.

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Construction on hold of the turning lane from River Street onto the new Eighth Street Bridge in Jenkins Township.

photos by BILL TARUTIS

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The new bridge opened in March and the east section of the old bridge was taken down in July. The rest of the bridge was supposed to be taken down in August. The east side entrance was supposed to be completed in September. But the flood and continued high water has put work on the bridge on hold. A large crane sits idle where the turning lane should be.

James May of the PennDOT Community Relations Department talked to the project engineer this week and relayed an explanation.

“It’s a domino effect,” May said. “We can’t finish the turning lane until we move the equipment and barrier; we can’t move the equipment and barrier until we finish the wing wall; and we can’t finish the wing wall until the water goes down.”

The wing walls keep dirt and mud from the river away from the bridge.

The domino theory goes for the causeway which was built to catch the old bridge section when it was taken down. The causeway has to be moved under the still-standing section of the old bridge before it is demolished and the causeway can’t be moved until the water goes down.

May said the river must recede to six feet before the job can be finished. The bridge was not damaged by the flooding.

The river level at Wilkes-Barre was 9.4 on Friday.