The start of a three-year project to repair the aged Tilghman Street Bridge in Allentown is being delayed because of weather, PennDOT said Friday.
“The start of a project to rehabilitate the Tilghman Street Bridge over the Lehigh River, Norfolk Southern Railroad, waterfront development and local streets in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County is being postponed…until further notice due to winter weather,” a news release said.
Updates on construction will be provided when a new start date has been
determined, PennDOT added.
The project was previously scheduled to begin Jan. 17.
When construction begins, Tilghman Street–a major east-west conduit across the Lehigh River–will be closed and detoured between Front and Dauphin streets.
The posted detour will utilize Front Street, American Parkway, N. Bradford Street and Dauphin Street.
Motorists are advised to expect delays and use caution traveling on the detour route while the project is taking place.
Pedestrian access will be maintained on the bridge throughout construction.
Work on the project includes bridge rehabilitation, deck replacement, roadway approach reconstruction, lighting upgrades, drainage work, concrete curb and sidewalk upgrades, signing and pavement markings and other miscellaneous construction.
The Tilghman Street Bridge is a 12-span concrete open spandrel arch bridge originally constructed in 1929 and reconstructed in 1995. It is 1,387 feet long and 53 feet wide.
The bridge section of Tilghman Street–which connects parts of east Allentown and center city near Coca-Cola Park–has an average daily traffic volume of 17,398 vehicles.
D.A. Collins Construction Co. Inc. of Wilton, N.Y., is the general contractor for the $21,904,045 project that is expected to be completed in June 2021.
For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, including those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and 12-Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.
Motorists can check on current conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com.
511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay
warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more
than 825 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts
accessible on the 511PA website.
Follow regional PennDOT information on Twitter and like the department on Facebook.
