PORT CARBON - When the state begins the replacement of the Pottsville Street Bridge in the next few weeks, drivers of tractor-trailers and dump trucks may be tempted to take a short cut onto Pike Street by using the borough-owned Washington Street Bridge.
At its April workshop Tuesday, the borough council took action to prevent that.
"We have to pass a resolution to temporarily close Washington Street Bridge to truck traffic," councilman Andy Palokas said and then he made that motion.
It was seconded by councilman Ray Steranko and carried unanimously with votes by council President Harold "Bucky" Herndon and council members Mike Quercia, A. Bernice Shirey, John Franko and Warren Thomas.
In February, the state Department of Transportation hired Heim Construction, Pottsville, as the general contractor for the $1,797,789.37 bridge-replacement project. PennDOT will fix and widen a pothole-ridden road, Commerce Street, as it prepares a detour. The demolition of the old Pottsville Street Bridge should begin sometime in April, officials said at the preconstruction meeting.
Built in 1926, the Pottsville Street Bridge is a concrete T-beam bridge. It needs to be replaced because of deficiencies in its superstructure, Sean A. Brown, safety press officer for PennDOT, said previously.
It will be replaced by a reinforced concrete adjacent box-beam bridge, which can hold "unlimited" tonnage, Timothy A. Bolden, a consulting engineer with Gibson-Thomas Engineering Co. Inc., Camp Hill, the firm the state hired to design the new bridge, said previously.
The state will close the Pottsville Street Bridge in a few weeks, but Palokas and Ronald J. Young Jr., press officer for PennDOT District 5, Allentown, did not have an exact date this week.
Once the Pottsville Street Bridge is closed, the state will establish a detour. It will include Commerce Street and Jackson Street and a temporary traffic signal will be set up at Jackson and Coal streets.
The borough's Washington Street Bridge is just off Jackson Street.
"One of the reason we don't want tractor trailers and dump trucks going over the Washington Street Bridge is the fire company is there. It's a safety issue," Palokas said.
Good Will Fire Company No. 1 has its station at 88 Washington St.
"Another thing with a tractor trailer with a 50-foot trailer, if they have to turn onto Pike Street or Market, they'd have to take a wide swing and have to go into the other lane. So we're not going to block up traffic. They can go down to Coal Street and go around and make everything easier," Palokas said.