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Problems continue to mount for Flood, Rutgers

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; More than two years after the West Sidney Street bridge was demolished, a new span is in place.</p><p>But it&#8217;s not ready for traffic yet and there&#8217;s still ancillary work to do.</p><p>Portions of the channel wall for Mill Creek, sidewalks with a handicapped accessible ramp and roadways have yet to be completed, said Mike Bonham, project superintendent for Leeward Construction Inc.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be the fall. It&#8217;s looking close to early November,&#8221; Bonham said Tuesday.</p><p>The new concrete bridge replaces one built in 1950 that was declared structurally deficient in a 2010 inspection, according to the National Bridge inventory. Portions of the stone walls along the creek also were in poor shape and had to be replaced, adding to the scope of the approximate $3.7 million project.</p><p>Leeward crews were working along the Coon Street side of the creek where concrete footers have to be extended so new concrete walls can be poured and tied in to the existing channel wall. The roadway has to be brought up to grade to reach the bridge deck.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre Director of Operations Butch Frati didn&#8217;t argue with Bonham&#8217;s estimated completion date.</p><p>&#8220;They made a lot of progress over the summer,&#8221; Frati said.</p><p>The weather has cooperated and the money is in place to cover the work, he added.</p><p>&#8220;Finally, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel,&#8221; Frati said.</p><p>Residents in the Miners Mills section of the city have had to deal with a detour and closed streets since the summer of 2013. The project stalled from then into 2014 over a funding issue. PennDOT had to resolve an internal problem before the contractor would return to job.</p><p>The cost was divided three ways with the federal government responsible for 80 percent, the state 15 percent and the city 5 percent. In June 2013 city council approved paying its $185,600 share from the liquid fuels budget.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The West Sidney Street bridge project is nearing completion after more than two years. The city and the contractor anticipate a completion in November. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_sidneybridge011.jpg</photo0><caption0>The West Sidney Street bridge project is nearing completion after more than two years. The city and the contractor anticipate a completion in November. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_sidneybridge021.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The new West Sidney Street bridge is in place, but it will still be a couple months before the road reopens as ancillary work is completed. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_sidneybridge021.jpg</photo1><caption1>The new West Sidney Street bridge is in place, but it will still be a couple months before the road reopens as ancillary work is completed. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Fall completion expected for Sidney Street bridge in Miners Mills