An 89-year-old bridge across the east branch of the Saucon Creek in Lower Saucon Township will be replaced using grant funding for transportation projects that Gov. Tom Wolf announced last week.
Two local municipalities received word last week that they will be receiving state transportation funding for projects in their communities.
Lower Saucon Township will receive $219,640 to replace the Lower Saucon Road Bridge, which is a two-lane culvert-style bridge that spans the east branch of the Saucon Creek near Easton Road.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Bridge Conditions map, the Lower Saucon Road bridge was built in 1930 and is in poor condition, with ratings of 5 out of 10 for deck condition, superstructure condition and substructure condition.
Thirty-three feet long, the PennDOT-owned bridge is made of concrete-encased steel I-beams, and an average of 1,263 vehicles pass over it each day according to data obtained from the map.
In Lehigh County, the Borough of Coopersburg will receive $1.2 million for traffic, bicycling and pedestrian safety improvements to Main Street and E. State Street, including the installation of ADA-compliant crosswalks at two intersections, .11 miles of curb, sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, signs and pavement markings.
The grants were announced Friday in a news release from the office of Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf.
“Transportation is critical to connecting communities and economies, and we are an important partner in bringing progress across the state,” Wolf said. “These investments will improve overall mobility and safety while bolstering commercial projects.”
Altogether 50 highway, bridge, transit, aviation, and bike and pedestrian projects in 23 counties throughout Pennsylvania were selected for $44.5 million in funding through the state’s Multimodal Transportation Fund.
PennDOT evaluated the grant applications it received and made selections for awards based on criteria such as safety benefits, regional economic conditions, technical and financial feasibility, job creation, energy efficiency and operational sustainability, according to the news release.
