Luzerne County will reduce its road inventory by a mile because Sugarloaf Township has formally inspected and agreed to accept ownership of a county-owned stretch of Mountain Drive, County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo told council Thursday.
Township supervisors confirmed the road takeover plan at their meeting this week, Crocamo said, thanking the township and county administration for their work on the matter. The township said the road is officially Mountain Drive but more commonly known as Mountain Road.
County officials have been working for years to convince municipalities to accept ownership of the county’s roads — many inherited from municipalities during the Great Depression.
In 2013, officials said the county owned 130 miles of roads.
The count is currently just shy of 120 miles with the one-mile stretch of Mountain Drive factored in, according to county Interim Operational Services Division Head Lawrence Plesh.
This reduction primarily stems from the willingness of Conyngham borough and Sugarloaf and Butler townships to take over repaired roads within their borders in recent years, officials say.
Similar takeovers suggested
Crocamo encouraged officials from other municipalities to check out the quality of the roads completed in the three jurisdictions and consider similar takeover agreements.
Municipalities can receive state liquid fuels funding to help with maintenance costs when they assume ownership, Crocamo said.
“The county ensures the roads are in pristine condition when municipalities take them over, and all the municipalities have to do is maintain them,” Crocamo said. “It’s a win-win. I’m surprised more municipalities have not taken this opportunity.”
Plesh said the Sugarloaf Township road was part of a $1.5 million reconstruction project that also included Walnut Avenue in Conyngham and West Foothills Drive in Butler Township and removed seven miles of roadway from county ownership.
In addition to these three municipalities, county-owned roads pass through 20 of the county’s 76 municipalities. The roads are in the following townships, according to county reports: Black Creek, Dallas, Dennison, Dorrance, Exeter, Fairview, Franklin, Hanover, Hollenback, Hunlock, Jackson, Kingston, Lehman, Plymouth, Rice, Ross, Salem, Slocum, Union and Wright.
An estimated $50 million would be needed to address all deteriorating county-owned roads, Crocamo has said.
While county officials have said they will place more priority on roads when municipalities agree to take them over, the county is ultimately responsible for addressing all infrastructure under its umbrella.
Kirby Avenue proposal
Council is set to vote Tuesday on a proposal to use an estimated $600,000 of the county’s American Rescue Plan funds to refurbish 1.2-mile Kirby Avenue in Fairview Township due to significant deterioration and motorist complaints.
During a recent work session discussion, Councilman Stephen J. Urban asked if the county is planning on turning over Kirby Avenue to Fairview Township when the work is completed.
Crocamo said the administration will reach out to the township, although she believes the road must be addressed regardless due to its condition.
She said Thursday the outreach will be up to her successors. Friday is Crocamo’s last day as acting manager because she has accepted other employment. County Budget/Finance Division Head Brian Swetz will serve as interim manager until Randy Robertson starts as the new manager the week of June 13.