Carbon County was recently awarded a portion of the funds needed to rehabilitate a bridge that crosses the Lehigh River in Kidder Township.

On Wednesday, state Rep. Doyle Heffley and state Sen. David Argall announced that Carbon County will receive $350,000 to help refurbish Bridge 18, which is located on Tannery Road, over the Lehigh River, between Kidder Township in Carbon and Foster Township in Luzerne County.

“Repairing bridges and roads is about more than convenience; it’s about safety,” Heffley said. “When a bridge is out, it can delay first responders, school transportation and everyday travel for families. I’m glad to have worked to secure this funding.”

In April, Carbon County Commissioner Rocky Ahner said that the county was working with Luzerne County to try to secure grant funding for the bridge repairs.

This bridge needs rehabilitation work on the abutment stems and wingwalls, as well as the deck surface. In addition, on the Luzerne County side, there is an issue with the approaching slab settling.

Bridge 18 is a link to Route 534, which provides access to both Interstate 80 and Hickory Run State Park.

In July, the board voted to submit the application for a Multimodal Transportation Fund grant in the amount of $1,420,888. The county also agreed to terms that if the funding was awarded, Carbon County and Luzerne County would execute a cooperation agreement incorporating all terms of the award. Matching grant funds would be shared with Luzerne County, which equated to $72,500 each if the full amount would have been awarded.