The state Department of Transportation is working with Scranton businessman Bob Bolus' insurance company to cover costs for repair of the Moosic Street bridge, which was closed last week after it was damaged by a vehicle being driven by one of Mr. Bolus' employees.
"Anytime that there's damage to a state structure or a state road, we try and find out who caused the damage and work with them," PennDOT spokesman James May said Friday.
It is expected to cost $1 million to replace the bridge, and work on it cannot start until 2013 at the earliest.
PennDOT will cover repair costs upfront through an emergency procurement fund provided through the state, then will recoup as much money as possible through Mr. Bolus' insurance company, Mr. May said.
According to a copy of an affidavit of probable cause provided by Mr. Bolus on Friday, state and city police arrived at Mr. Bolus' 1445 Drinker St. property in Dunmore at about 1:30 p.m. Nov. 2 after receiving a tip that a vehicle used by his company was involved in the bridge incident. Police observed a piece of equipment with damage to the arm of the machine and pieces of concrete in the joint of the arm where it hit the bridge, the affidavit said.
The machine is owned by Ransom Quarry Co. Inc., which rents the machine to Mr. Bolus' company.
Police then contacted Mr. Bolus, who told them that employee Eric Gower was driving the truck carrying the equipment in question, according to the affidavit.
Mr. Bolus said he was at the police station with the driver the evening of the crash. He said after reading the affidavit, he's upset that police were on his property earlier in the day without his knowledge and before they obtained a search warrant.
His attorney, Tony Moses of Kingston, said Mr. Bolus will continue to cooperate with authorities and PennDOT, and there was no intent to cover anything up.
"It was an accident. The insurance company knows about it. A police report was completed," Mr. Moses said.
Police seized one Caterpillar CAT from the property at 11:42 p.m. Nov. 2, according to the affidavit.
City acting Police Chief Carl Graziano confirmed a search warrant was served on the Drinker Street property.
A call to Lackawanna County Assistant District Attorney Robert Klein, who is heading the investigation into the incident, was not returned Friday night.
Contact the writer: ksullivan@timesshamrock.com, @ksullivanTT on Twitter