Commissioners advance plans for work on Penn Forest bridge

The replacement of a Penn Forest Township bridge advanced Thursday as Carbon County commissioners authorized the state Department of Transportation to perform pre-construction work.

That work includes preliminary engineering, environmental studies, final design, utility location and right of way acquisition services.

The 46-foot rolled steel I-beam bridge is on North Old Stage Road.

It’s in poor condition, and currently has a 5-ton weight limit.

The project is expected to cost $315,000. The design cost is funded through $252,000 in federal money; $47,250 in state funds and $15,750 in local funds.

It could be two years before the project is finished.

In other matters Thursday, commissioners approved four Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Area Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act on-the-job training agreements for four county correctional officers.

They begin July 30 and end on Dec. 31.

The county will be reimbursed up to $6,333.75 for each of the training agreements.

“That’s a significant savings to the county,” said Commissioner William J. O’Gurek.

“It pays their salaries while we send them to Lehigh County for training,” said Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne E. Nothstein.

“We send them down there for five weeks,” he said.

Also, commissioners thanked first responders who rescued 50 rafters from the rain-swollen Lehigh River on Aug. 13.