Lebanon County-owned bridge in Jonestown to be rehabilitated

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Lebanon County Commissioners voted unanimously to hire engineering firm Wilson Consulting on Aug. 21 for the planned rehabilitation of a county-owned bridge in Jonestown.

The agreement is for the bridge on Jonestown Road that runs over Swatara Creek at the west end of town. The firm was hired for $83,821.45, with the money coming from Act 13 Marcellus Shale funds, according to Jamie Wolgemuth, county administrator.

He noted the agreement is separate from one the county has with Wilson Consulting to conduct inspections of the county-owned and municipal-owned bridges throughout the Lebanon Valley.  

“Last year, PennDOT identified it as a bridge that needs rehabilitation, primarily of the overhanging sidewalk on the north side of the bridge,” Wolgemuth told commissioners. “PennDOT gave us two years to get it accomplished.”

Wolgemuth said the Mechanicsburg-based firm will provide technical and price proposals for a preliminary engineering report for the bridge.

“So this is for them to put together the plan on how extensive the work will be and how they will do the work from an engineering perspective. There are a couple of ways they are looking at doing this,” he said.  

The scope of work will cover a supplemental survey and existing sidewalk system evaluation, a preliminary traffic control plan, preliminary aids to navigation plan, utility and environmental coordination, type, size and location submission, erosion and sediment pollution control, right-of-way and Department of Environmental Protection permit investigation.

Following completion of the preliminary engineering report, Wilson Consulting will prepare a final design and bidding document. It was noted in Wilson Consulting documentation that the company will “endeavor to complete the scope of work report within 12 months of written notification to proceed.”

Wolgemuth told commissioners prior to their vote that there will be road closures to some extent, adding that while it is still to be determined, the closures may come in the form of a full closure or one-lane shutdowns while work is being performed.

“This will involve a closure to some extent, possibly total closure, best case, possibly one lane,” he said. “I know the people in Jonestown have had more than their share of closures over the years to the south with detours and so on. I guess when you look at it from a high altitude, pretty much everything going in and out of Jonestown should be in pretty good shape after this.”

While there is no timeline set for the bridge project, he believes it could begin in mid-2026 to the beginning of 2027. Jon Fitzkee, senior transportation planner, Lebanon County, told LebTown the bridge was built in 1929.

Wolgemuth said brush around the bridge has been cleared in preparation for the technical work to occur there.

Other business

In what was a short agenda for the second and final meeting of commissioners in August, they unanimously voted to: 

• Renew the Title IV-D cooperative agreement between the commonwealth and Lebanon County for medical services provided to minor children. The five-year agreement runs from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2030. There were no major changes to the prior agreement between the two governing bodies. 
• Accept the treasurer’s report and various personnel transactions.
• Grant the resignation of Luz Rosario from the Children & Youth Advisory Board.
• Appoint Franklin Foose to the South-Central Workforce Development Board.
• Provide real estate exemptions to 10 fully disabled veterans or their families.
• Receive a report from STIFEL and other consultants concerning the second quarter performance of the county’s pension fund.
• Release funds for two hotel tax grant requests. The Pennsylvania Gourd Society will receive $5,000 to cover expenses of $8,600 for their event on June 11-13, 2026. The other request was for $5,000 for the Elmer C. Ebling Memorial Charity Inc.’s Myerstown Community Carnival on May 20-25, 2026, scheduled for Myerstown Community Park. 
• Approve the Aug. 7 meeting minutes. 

Lebanon County Commissioners meet the first and third Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. in room 207of the Lebanon County municipal building, 400 S. 8th St., Lebanon.