Much-Needed Repairs Pending for NEPA Road

That's what borough leaders plan to do with the road that connects Washington Avenue and Delaware Street. But despite council approving a $100,000 loan on Thursday, Jermyn still needs a state grant to cover the cost of fixing a road that's become a priority. "It's one of the biggest things going I would say in Jermyn right now, one of the biggest problems," said Mr. Nicholson.

The problem on Bridge Street surfaced last year when railroad rails beneath the pavement began to rot causing the road to become uneven before it buckled. The detour leaves some drivers in Jermyn taking Maple Street which runs parallel with Bridge Street. Carrie Snell doesn't like that option during the wintertime. "Maple Street sometimes gets very icy and they do keep it up as best as possible because there's a really bad turn right near the Artisan Fire House," she said.

Mayor Bruce Smallacombe tells Eyewitness News repairing Bridge Street would be a relatively simple project and mostly likely would require a couple of months to complete. Now it's just a matter of coming up with the cash. "Oh yeah it's absolutely tough. You know, I mean it's hard to find," said Anthony Fuga of Jermyn. Ms. Snell added, "It always comes down to money. The borough is tight on money and you know you need to take the money and put it in an area that is more needy."

Jermyn solicitor, Atty. Albert Nicholls, told Eyewitness News he expects the borough to meet all of the state-required criteria by the end of March. He is optimistic the state will soon after that back the cost of the pending road repairs.