The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the North Washington Street Bridge Project in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County. The project involves replacing the existing structure that carries Route 7304 over the historic Luzerne and Susquehanna Railroad.
The proposed design includes a single-span prestressed composite concrete adjacent box beam bridge with full height cast-in-place abutments on spread footings. This new structure will be located on the current roadway alignment, offering increased horizontal and vertical clearance for the railroad. The design also incorporates drainage improvements to address water ponding issues on the tracks.
The Environmental Assessment (EA) and comment responses were reviewed by FHWA, confirming that they adequately discuss the project’s needs, environmental issues, impacts, and mitigation measures. The Bureau of Design and Delivery has verified compliance with State environmental evaluation requirements under Pennsylvania Act 120.
Both the North Washington Street Bridge and Lehigh Valley Railroad are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Approximately 0.12 acre of right-of-way will be acquired from the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The documentation indicates minimized harm to resources, exploration of alternatives to avoid impact, and fulfillment of Act 120’s intent regarding this project.
With no significant environmental impact anticipated, the project can proceed to final design, right-of-way acquisition, procurement, and construction stages. The EA and FONSI documents are available to the public upon request.
Information from this article can be found here.
