After eight years, a key transportation connection in Northampton County has been restored.

A small ceremony with county and local officials and construction workers was held Friday morning to celebrate the opening of the new Meadows Road Bridge in Lower Saucon Township, just south of Hellertown. The new span replaces a historic stone bridge that was closed to traffic in April 2018 after it was found to be structurally deficient. After it began to collapse into the Saucon Creek, the bridge was demolished, despite having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.

Also known as Northampton County Bridge #15, the new Meadows Road Bridge is a modern, two-lane crossing with a pedestrian walkway along its north side. Its construction began in late 2024 and was completed slightly ahead of schedule.

“This project represents years of work and coordination to restore an important transportation connection for our residents,” said Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski. “Reopening the Meadows Road Bridge improves travel throughout Lower Saucon Township while demonstrating Northampton County’s continued commitment to investing in critical infrastructure.”

Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski talks with Lower Saucon Township councilwoman Priscilla deLeon at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Meadows Road Bridge Friday.

Zrinski was joined by Lower Saucon Township Council members Priscilla deLeon and Victoria Opthof-Cordaro for the ribbon-cutting, which took place after a final engineering inspection of the bridge. Several residents also attended the ceremony.

“Thank you for helping bring this project across the finish line,” Opthof-Cordaro told Zrinski, who was elected last year.

DeLeon, who has been active in advocating for the preservation of Lower Saucon’s historic landmarks, called the opening “bittersweet” because of the loss of the iconic humpback stone bridge that spanned the Saucon Creek for over 160 years.

Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski was joined by Lower Saucon Township Council members Victoria Opthof-Cordaro and Priscilla deLeon as well as county officials, staff from Kinsley Construction and others for the ribbon-cutting.

Kinsley Construction of York, Pa., was the contractor for the bridge project, which had a price tag of approximately $3.1 million. County officials said the project was funded through a reimbursement agreement with PennDOT, which covered 80 percent of the total project cost, with the county funding the remaining 20 percent.

While eager to celebrate the bridge’s reopening and the removal of a lengthy detour, township officials also urged motorists to use caution when traveling along Meadows Road, which is a major artery again, after being a dead-end street for years.

“Please remember to exercise caution and follow the posted speed limit of 35 mph between Friedensville Road and Willimet Lane,” Lower Saucon Township Police said in a statement published on their Crimewatch site. “Additionally, it’s essential to note that left turns are prohibited at the intersection of Meadows Road and Route 412. … If you choose to speed or make an illegal left turn, you may cause an accident and injure someone, and you will receive a hefty fine!”