Luzerne County’s outside consultant is now recommending construction of a new Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge over the Susquehanna River instead of partially replacing the existing one, according to a presentation on Tuesday’s council work session agenda.
What changed?
Dominic Yannuzzi, of consultant Alfred Benesch and Associates, said additional weight was put on the community impact of a 2.6-year closure of the existing bridge during the partial replacement project. In comparison, the current span could remain open to traffic during construction of a new bridge.
The cost difference also was addressed by removing more than $9.5 million that originally had been factored into the new bridge construction estimate to cover the costs of tearing down the existing bridge, Yannuzzi said.
Removing the current bridge demolition from the new bridge construction costs is allowable because they are technically individual projects, Yannuzzi said. The county can seek outside funding assistance for the demolition and remove the span on its own timeline after the new one opens, he said.
Originally estimated at $64 million, a full replacement is now down to $53.6 million with demolition removed from the equation, according to the presentation.
Partial replacement construction is still cheaper — $40.5 million, it says.
However, that estimate rises to $55.8 million on the presentation chart when a $15.3 million “detour user cost” is added to reflect the impact of the 2.6-year bridge closure on the community, Yannuzzi said.
He emphasized detour user costs are not a county expense but are instead absorbed by those required to take an alternate route.
Technically called “road users liquidated damages,” the community cost is documented in a section of the full 389-page Benesch report attached to Tuesday’s agenda.
The cost for the traveling public associated with the additional distance traveled and…
