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ournal-herald THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2023 • Volume 43 – No. 1 ©2023, THE JOURNAL-HERALD. All Rights Reserved
CONTINUING: THE WHITE HAVEN JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1879–144th YEAR, NO. 40
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I-80 bridge project meeting draws crowd in White Haven by Ruth Isenberg
It was standing room only for the meeting Monday between White Haven Borough Council and the companies and agencies responsible for the Interstate 80 bridge replacement project. Many of those attending were business people from Main Street in White Haven with concerns
about what construction and the associated heavy equipment traffic would mean to their businesses. The 10 a.m. meeting began with a slideshow presentation about the project, starting with original proposal to toll the new bridges. Meetings were held in starting in 2020 when that proposal was under consideration,
but the legislature acted to short-circuit the tolling plan in 2022. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation took action to proceed with existing funding, and this summer pre-construction surveying and meetings with private landowners began. Representatives of lead design contractor Michael Baker International and major bridge constructor Wagman Heavy Civil Inc. were introduced. The approved temporary access to the project on the Luzerne County side of the bridge was displayed. A new, temporary road is planned from south Main Street, approximately across from Tavern on the Trail, which will cross over the existing exit from the White Haven Market parking lot, and join the access to the D&L Trail behind the Aqua building. Movable channelizing devices will allow access to White Haven Market Shopping Center, Aqua, and Pocono Biking, and keep
access to the trail open for hikers and bicyclists. Some time was spent on explaining why the newly constructed road from Route 940 to the D&L Trail cannot be used. The property is owned by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and is protected under federal law. Agencies are not permitted to use such land unless there is no other feasible means of accessing a project, and they
must provide off-setting land to make up for using park land set aside for recreation. The approved plan will require PennDOT to offset approximately 6 acres; use of the new road, if it was even possible, would require a far larger offset. Borough officials were See BRIDGE TRAFFIC, page 5
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