A project to stop erosion that threatened the Wyoming Valley Levee in Wilkes-Barre is substantially complete, Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority Executive Director Laura Holbrook said after Tuesday’s board meeting.
Soil and rock were sliding downhill at the site along the Susquehanna River near Norfolk Southern’s Black Diamond railroad bridge. The $715,000 project replaced dirt with large stone rip-rap to restore stability to the bank.
Granville Summit, Pennsylvania-based DGR Excavating LLC is completing the project.
Holbrook said the construction portion of the project is finished, which should put the public at ease.
The contractor has removed a temporary access road that was required to bring materials and equipment to the site, she said.
A “punch list” of closeout work will be presented to the contractor, and Holbrook expects those items will be addressed within two weeks.
The authority will make a public announcement when the project wraps up, allowing access to be restored, she said.
During construction, a floodgate was installed at the levee public-access opening near the intersection of Locust Street and Riverside Drive. Closure signs and netting were set up on the other end of the closed section off Gordon Avenue in the Barney Farms neighborhood.
Authority Board member Jay Delaney, who is Wilkes-Barre’s fire chief, highly praised the contractor for the quality of work, its customer service and timeliness in addressing the urgent project.
Delaney said no citizens complained, which is impressive for a project involving numerous heavy-equipment loads through a highly urbanized area.
“The residents should rest easier knowing the Flood Protection Authority has fixed that area,” Delaney said.