Business Owner to Council: Closed Bridge Should Be Reopened

A Hellertown business owner told borough council Monday he’s concerned about how the closure of the Water Street Bridge in the summer of 2019 could affect local traffic–particularly because the old Seidersville Road Bridge across Saucon Creek west of High Street remains closed.

Bob Hero asked council to again approach Northampton County–which owns the dilapidated metal truss bridge that’s been closed since 2011–about finding the funds to fix it.

Council president Tom Rieger agreed to bring the topic up at the next opportunity, although he expressed little optimism about getting anywhere with the county.

“The county has no intentions to replace it,” Rieger said.

And “either way it wouldn’t be fixed by (the time Water Street Bridge is closed),” he added.

“There have been discussions over the past several years and because of the county and the expense to replace that bridge I think they would have to acquire property to make it larger, because it doesn’t meet today’s standards,” borough manager Cathy Hartranft noted.

Although the Seidersville Road bridge remains closed, its companion span–the nearby High Street bridge–reopened last year and now provides Hellertown motorists access to Ravena Street, Silvex Road and ultimately Seidersville Road in the City of Bethlehem.

Both bridges are located in the city, but only the Seidersville Road bridge is county-owned.

The bridge was closed after it was found to be structurally deficient.