Detour provides easy access to St. Luke’s Miners Campus during bridge closure

The Route 209/West Broad Street Bridge over Wabash Creek in Tamaqua may close this summer, but St. Luke’s Miners Campus in nearby Coaldale will continue to be accessible via a detour.

Work on the bridge started April 9, and preliminary operations include surveying, excavation, drainage upgrades and sidewalk/curbing work on outlying intersections along the planned detour route.

Initial work will be at the intersections of Railroad and Spruce streets and Spruce Street and Route 309. Drivers can anticipate daytime lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the area until the end of the school year.

Over the summer, the bridge will be closed and detoured. The car detour will use South Railroad Street, West Spruce Street and South Lehigh Street. The truck detour will use routes 309, 54, 81 and 61.

The roadway is expected to be open again before the new school year begins, with daytime lane restrictions being used thereafter.

During the full road closure, a temporary traffic signal will be used at the intersection of Spruce and Hunter streets.

St. Luke’s Miners Campus features advanced inpatient and outpatient services with full access to the latest treatments and technologies.

Patients benefit from quality inpatient care, emergency room services, surgical services, radiology services and more.

Detour details

• Truck detour will be for all trucks over two axles. Normal truck turnaround will be via Old 209 through Newkirk and Reevesdale. Last resort turnaround will be at the high school.

• Hegarty Avenue will be one way west to east, from Nescopec Street to Berwick Street.

• Rowe Street will remain one way east to west.

• Nescopec Street will be two way from Broad Street to Hegarty Avenue.

• Broad Street will be one way east from Nescopec Street to Hunter Street.

• Hunter Street will be one way south from Broad Street to Spruce Street. New traffic signals will be installed at the intersection of Spruce and Hunter streets.

• Spruce Street will be one way east from South Railroad Street to Center Street with two lanes. The right lane will be through traffic and right turn. The left lane will be for left turn only.