Lehigh Co - 15th St Bridge Closure in Allentown

The contractor for the 15th Street and Ward Street Bridge project has advised the City of Allentown that the demolition of the 15^th Street Bridge abutments will begin Saturday, November 10, 2012. The work will begin Saturday during daylight hours from 7am until 5pm and will be completed Sunday, November 11, 2012 from 7am until 5pm.  

Eastbound traffic on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive will be detoured north on S. 15^th Street, west on South Street, north on S. 17^th Street, east on Elm Street, and south on S. Franklin Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.  Westbound traffic on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive will be detoured north on S. Franklin Street, west on Elm Street, and south on S. 15^th Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive detour will be in effect during day time hours only.  The detour signs on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive will be turned during the night hours to allow traffic along Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen, Pennsylvania is the general contractor for the $8.4 million project.  Funding for the project is 80% Federal, 15% State, and 5% City.

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The 15th Street Bridge has been closed to northbound traffic since late 2010 due to deteriorated areas of the structure. The plans for replacement required approvals from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The 15th Street Bridge was built in 1957. It is used by an estimated 20,000 vehicles a day. The existing portion of the bridge over the Little Lehigh is a five span steel structure with a steel grate deck. The bridge over the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive portion is a single span concrete bridge with a concrete deck. Both are being replaced with a new concrete bridge. The Little Lehigh section will be a two span instead of a five span bridge.

Crews have installed poles for a temporary traffic signal at 15th and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Detour signs will be posted. Erosion and Sediment (E&S) Control measures will continue into next week with rock construction entrances being installed and inlet protection placed, along with construction yard and office set-up.

J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen, Pennsylvania is the general contractor for the $8.4 million project. Funding for the project is 80% Federal, 15% State, and 5% City. It is expected to take up to 18 months to complete.