Local Projects Could Receive Transportation Funding

A number of significant local roadway, bridge and infrastructure projects are included in a FutureLV Long-Range Transportation Plan recently issued by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.

The LVPC plan covers the period of 2024 to 2050 and was formulated based upon a 25-year inclusive funding projection of approximately $5.36 billion.

“The LRTP is not a defined budget, but rather a long-term funding plan of how to spend money that is projected to be available in those future years,” the document’s preface states. “It is ‘fiscally constrained,’ which means that only enough projects can be planned that match the funding that is reasonably expected to arrive in those years. As federal and state infrastructure investment programs change and as local governments, non-profits and the private sector secure grant funding the regional pool of resources grows.”

Projects included in the plan are defined as short-range (2024-2028), mid-range (2029-2036) and long-range (2037-2050) and “are priorities that the region can reasonably expect to achieve over the next 25 years,” it says. It also categorizes approximately $2.27 billion in other proposed projects as “unmet needs,” meaning there is no funding anticipated for them over the next 25 years.

The roughly 50 projects listed below are primarily in Hellertown borough, Lower Saucon Township, Upper Saucon Township, Lower Milford Township, Coopersburg borough, the City of Bethlehem, Fountain Hill borough, Freemansburg borough and Williams Township. A number of the planned projects involve work on major local highways, including I-78, Rt. 309 and Rt. 33.

A new Meadows Road Bridge in Lower Saucon Township (pictured above) is one of the short-range transportation projects identified in the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s recently released FutureLV Long-Range Transportation Funding plan. The historic, county-owned stone bridge which spanned the Saucon Creek fell into disrepair after it was closed to traffic in 2018. Despite being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020, it was demolished in 2022. (FILE PHOTO)

Short-Range (2024-2028)

• Meadows Road Bridge over Saucon Creek, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $3.4 million – Project sponsor: Northampton County
• Mill Road Bridge over Saucon Creek Tributary, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $365,820 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Easton Road Bridge over E. Branch Saucon Creek, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $2,140,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Hill-to-Hill Bridge over Lehigh River, Rehabilitation – City of Bethlehem – Projected funding: $69,825,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Resurfacing of Rt. 33 from I-78 to Rt. 22 – Lower Saucon Township, Bethlehem Township – Projected funding: $8,025,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Resurfacing of Island Park Road/25th Street from Shimersville Road to Rt. 248 in Northampton County – Lower Saucon Township, various other municipalities – Projected funding: $1.2 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Interchange improvements at Rt. 309 and I-78 in Center Valley – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $70,150,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Coopersburg Streetscape Phase 6 project including pedestrian, bicycle and traffic improvements along South Main Street – Coopersburg borough – Projected funding: $1 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Limeport Pike bridge over Hosensack Creek, Replacement – Lower Milford Township – Projected funding: $1,950,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT 12 Year Plan
• Lower Saucon Road bridge over East Branch of Saucon Creek, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $1,550,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 highway preservation/restoration including pavement overlay, patching of existing mainline and shoulders, and rehabilitation/replacement of drainage system including access ramps, between Lehigh Street and Rt. 309 south interchange – Various municipalities including Upper Saucon Township – Projected cost: $21,191,143 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 Corridor improvements from Emaus Avenue to just east of Rt. 309/Center Valley interchange – Various municipalities including Upper Saucon Township – Projected cost: $24,625,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 highway preservation overlay from Rt. 309/Center Valley interchange to Saucon Viaduct at Rt. 412 interchange – City of Bethlehem, Lower Saucon Township – Projected cost: $15,558,499 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 highway preservation from Saucon Viaduct to Easton Road bridge – City of Bethlehem, Lower Saucon Township – Projected cost: $10,756,500 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 Saucon Viaduct bridges, rehabilitation and preventive maintenance including painting and miscellaneous substructure/drainage repairs – City of Bethlehem – Projected cost: $61,631,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 replacement or rehabilitation of various bridges – Glendon borough, Williams Township, Lower Saucon Township – Projected cost: $27 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 Easton Road bridge substructure condition study – Lower Saucon Township – Projected cost: $13,086,678 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• I-78 highway preservation/restoration of concrete slab roadway from Easton Road bridge to Rt. 33 interchange – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $21,355,665 – Project sponsor: PennDOT

Mid-Range (2029-2036)

• Rt. 378 Betterment Project, Colesville Road to Brighton Street – Lower Saucon Township/City of Bethlehem – Projected funding: $17,771,165 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Rt. 412 Corridor Improvements described as needed to “reduce congestion and improve safety along the corridor between Commerce Center Boulevard and Cherry Lane” – City of Bethlehem, Hellertown borough – Projected funding: $9 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Wyandotte Street (Rt. 378) Corridor Improvements described as needed to “reduce congestion and improve safety along the corridor between Third Street to and including the ‘5-Points’ intersection at Broadway” – City of Bethlehem – Projected funding: $20,000,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Rt. 33 and I-78 interchange reconstruction to include reconfiguration of the interchange and its approaches “to improve safety and the operational functionality” – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $45 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Main Street and Polk Valley Road, “construction of new sidewalk to connect to the Saucon Rail Trail and installation of a new traffic signal” – Hellertown borough – Projected funding: $500,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT Betterment Project
• Fountain Hill Borough Pedestrian Improvements to include “rehabilitation of deteriorating curbs and sidewalks along Broadway” – Fountain Hill borough – Projected funding: $1.3 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT Betterment Project
• Rt. 309 Pedestrian Bridge construction “to connect residents to recreational amenities and trails on both sides of the highway” – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $4 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT Betterment Project

Long-Range (2037-2050)

• Hill-to-Hill Bridge Main Street Ramp, Rehabilitation – City of Bethlehem – Projected funding: $20,467,799 – Project sponsor: City of Bethlehem
• Seidersville Road Bridge (Northampton Co. Bridge #19), Rehabilitation or Replacement – City of Bethlehem – Projected funding: $16,374,239 – Project sponsor: Northampton County
• Friedensville Road Bridge over Black River, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $1.5 million – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Silver Creek culvert under Main Street, to mitigate effects of flooding, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Hellertown borough – Projected funding: $6.5 million – Project sponsor: Hellertown borough
• Limeport Pike bridge over Saucon Creek tributary, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $750,000 – Project sponsor: Transportation Improvement Program
• Rt. 309 box culvert over Kistler Creek tributary, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $2,140,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Main Street bridge over Saucon Creek tributary, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Hellertown borough – Projected funding: $2,250,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Lower Saucon Road bridge over East Branch of Saucon Creek, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Lower Saucon Township – Projected funding: $1,550,000 – Project sponsors: PennDOT 12 Year Plan, Lower Saucon Township
• Main Street bridge over Saucon Creek tributary, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Coopersburg borough – Projected funding: $1,654,800 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Rt. 611 Betterment Project, Browns Drive to Smith Avenue – Williams Township – Projected funding: $14,130,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT Betterment project
• Road Auxiliary Turn Lanes, Intersection of Vera Cruz Road, Oakhurst Drive and S. Pike Ave. – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $3,070,170 – Project sponsor: Upper Saucon Township
• Main Street Rehabilitation from Washington Street to the Lehigh River Bridge – Freemansburg borough – Projected funding: $2,217,956 – Project sponsor: Freemansburg borough
• Rt. 309 Northbound Realignment between Rt. 378 and Lanark Road “to improve traffic congestion, safety and the quality of life of residents along the current northbound side” – Upper Saucon Township – Projected funding: $15 million – Project sponsor: Upper Saucon Township
• Citywide Study/Plan for the development of a long-term plan for the installation “of safe and efficient bicycle infrastructure in the City of Bethlehem” – City of Bethlehem – Projected funding: $409,356 – Project sponsor: City of Bethlehem
• Three Connections from Rt. 412 to Saucon Rail Trail Plan to develop connections at Meadows Road, Tumminello Park and W. Walnut Street – Lower Saucon Township, Hellertown borough – Projected funding: $2,259,129 – Project sponsor: Hellertown borough

Unmet Needs

• Bingen Road Bridge over Saucon Creek near Coal Yard Road, Rehabilitation or Replacement – Lower Saucon Township – Projected need: $3,250,000 – Project sponsor: Lower Saucon Township
• Rt. 309 Resurface Betterment from Lehigh/Bucks County line to Center Valley Parkway – Upper Saucon Township/Coopersburg borough – Projected need: $14,130,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Main Street Resurface Betterment described as “repaving of Main Street through Hellertown borough to sustain an increase in truck traffic” – Hellertown borough – Projected need: $4 million – Project sopnsor: Hellertown borough
• Wyandotte Street/Rt. 378 Resurface Betterment from the Lehigh/Northampton county line to Brighton Street – Lower Saucon Township, City of Bethlehem – Projected need: $4,520,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Easton Road/Raubsville Road Resurface Betterment from Cherry Lane to Rt. 611 – Hellertown borough, Lower Saucon/Williams townships – Projected need: $13,050,000 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Rt. 309 Adaptive Signal Upgrades – Coopersburg borough – Projected need: $3,946,323 – Project sponsor: PennDOT
• Auxiliary Turning Lanes and Signalization, Intersection of Vera Cruz and Lanark roads – Upper Saucon Township – Projected need: $4,093,560 – Project sponsor: Upper Saucon Township
• Mill Road and Main Street intersection improvements to “mitigate congestion and improve safety” – Upper Saucon Township – Projected need: $3 million – Project sponsor: Upper Saucon Township
• South Bethlehem Greenway Trail Extension involving acquisition and construction of a .9 mile-long trail along a Norfolk-Southern rail line – City of Bethlehem, Hellertown borough – Projected funding: $7,163,730 – Project sponsor: PennDOT Betterment Project

Click here to view the full list of projects.