Motorists traveling along Koch Road in Towamensing Township will soon see a flurry of activity on the single-lane bridge that crosses Pohopoco Creek.

During the county commissioners' meeting on Thursday, the board voted to ratify the notices to proceed to Navarro & Wright Engineers for construction inspection and Fabcor Inc. of Jessup, for construction of the new bridge.Commissioner Wayne Nothstein, chairman, explained that construction will begin soon with an anticipated completion date of Nov. 14."They have a very aggressive construction project there," he said, noting that there were some problems obtaining the precast concrete needed for the project. "After how many years, and an estimated over $2 million between engineering and construction costs, we should see some movement on the project soon."When asked about a detour route while construction is taking place, the commissioners said that they do not have an answer yet.Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said that the company has to give the commissioners, Towamensing Supervisors and the county Emergency Management Agency three weeks notice on the route before it goes into effect.Nothstein added that there will be an on-site pre-construction meeting to address issues such as the detour.Last month, the commissioners approved Fabcor after they were notified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that the company was the low bidder for the project. Fabcor bid $1.35 million for the replacement work. This total does not include engineering fees.At that meeting, Commissioner William O'Gurek said the project will be 80 percent covered by the federal government and 20 percent by the state.But the county had to pay over $700,000 out of its liquid fuels fund for design work, as well as secure six right-of-way approvals from properties and work with the township's historical ordinance to see if the bridge met criteria for historical purposes.The historyof the projectOfficials have been working at replacing the 60-foot bridge since 1999 after a bus company raised concerns about the integrity of the structure.At that time, the county lowered the weight limit to 5 tons, which it remains today.In 2008, Judy Borger, director of Carbon County Planning and Development, testified to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Rural Transportation Planning Organization on the integrity of the bridge and raised some concerns, including the narrow width, deteriorating arches and worn decks.In 2009, the county approved an engineering agreement, developed by PennDOT, for services associated with the replacement of the Koch Road bridge.A public hearing was held to discuss the design concept and accept input about the project.On Aug. 4, 2011, the board approved a resolution and supplemental reimbursement agreement with PennDOT for final design, utility and right-of-way costs associated with the replacement of the bridge.The reimbursement includes $589,600 from the Federal Highway Administration and $147,400 from the state Liquid Fuels fund.In November 2011, the commissioners voted to amend the contract with Carbon Engineering of Summit Hill to prepare the specifications for the replacement project. That contract was expected to not exceed $737,000 $270,000 for preliminary design work, $305,000 for final design work, $108,000 for utilities and $54,000 for rights of way.A historical ordinance in Towamensing Township requires a 90-day notice must be provided to the township before any work begins. That prompted the township's historical society to raise the flag with regard to the county's plans, and a subsequent review by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission ruled the bridge was not eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.The township then asked the county to consider keeping the bridge in place for a bicycle and pedestrian bridge and constructing a second bridge for vehicular traffic. The commissioners said this option is not cost-effective. The final design will mimic the architecture of the current bridge.In January 2013, the board voted to adopt a resolution regarding the acquisition of necessary right of way for reconstruction of the bridge, authorize Nothstein to sign a waiver of rights concerning a portion of property necessary for the project and authorize Keystone Acquisition Service Corp. to forward letters of authorization for acquisition of the rights of way to the property owners on behalf of the county.In September 2013, the commissioners approved an agreement with PPL Electric Utilities for the relocation of utilities relative to the replacement of the bridge. The estimated cost was $33,717 and is reimbursable under PennDOT grants for the project.