The Lower Saucon Township Police Department announced Sunday morning that the Water Street Bridge has reopened following an inspection by PennDOT officials.
However, the bridge will close again from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday so debris left piled up against it can be removed by PennDOT workers.
The 80-year-old two-lane bridge has been temporarily closed several times in recent months for emergency repairs, leading to some speculation that its continued deterioration will force PennDOT to close it permanently before its scheduled replacement in the summer of 2019.
The bridge is located in Hellertown borough, Lower Saucon Township and the City of Bethlehem, and is used by both pedestrians and motorists traveling into and out of Hellertown.
The closure of the bridge forced the cancellation of Sunday morning’s Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market in the adjacent Water Street Park.
The waters of the Saucon Creek recede under the Water Street Bridge in Hellertown Saturday morning. This photo was taken from the west bank of the creek in Lower Saucon Township, looking east toward Hellertown borough, and shows some of the debris that piled up on the south side of the bridge.
