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A Bridge for Christmas?

NESCOPECK TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Newswatch 16 asked shoppers in Luzerne County who on their holiday shopping list is the most difficult to shop for. “My mo...

NESCOPECK TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Newswatch 16 asked shoppers in Luzerne County who on their holiday shopping list is the most difficult to shop for.

"My mother-in-law and my aunt and uncle," says Holly Gilliam of Nescopeck.

"My husband," adds Trinell Bull of Berwick.

"My two-year-old and ten-year-old boys," says Ashley Cool of Nescopeck.

Well,  PennDOT and the Department of General Services has an idea for shoppers in Luzerne County.

"Well, this is the time of year where people are going over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house, and if you need a good way to get over the river to grandma's house, we have a bridge for sale," explains PennDOT spokesperson James May.

It's the Dump Hill Road Bridge just outside Nescopeck that runs over Nescopeck Creek. It's a single-span, steel camelback thru truss constructed in 1905. Since the bridge has a historic element, the state is offering to sell it, instead of just knocking it down. The bridge is closed to traffic now, but PennDOT plans to replace it once it's sold and removed.

When asked if Cool thought this would be a good Christmas gift for her boys, she said, "Absolutely not."

Holly Gilliam, though, thought it might be just right for her husband.

"Because he likes old historic stuff in the area so yeah that being an old metal bridge would be something up his alley," Gilliam explains.

The Department of General Services says this bridge can be yours as long as you pay to remove it.

"I sort of feel like one of those commercials where it says you know 'buy today, you get this absolutely free, just pay shipping and handling.' Well, it's sort of like that with this," adds May.

"Well, I'm not volunteering, but I think it's a wonderful idea," says Bull. "I'm sure it's the perfect gift for someone!"

If you would like to learn more about how to put this bridge under your Christmas tree... You can find more information from PennDOT's website below.

From PennDOT's website regarding the transfer of the bridge:

To preserve this historic structure, ownership of the bridge will be transferred in its entirety to an interested party for its removal to a new location. The new owner will be responsible for costs associated with rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of the structure; however, the Federal Highway Administration will provide some preservation assistance towards lifting and disassembling the bridge for transport to a new location. If your organization is interested in assuming ownership of this historic bridge, please contact Kara Russell at 717-705-1484 or krussell@pa.gov.

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