Road ‘rage’ comes to work zones

Editor’s note: Through the end of the year, we are publishing a review of the top stories that affected our region.

By Terry Ahner

tahner@tnonline.com

Roadwork projects were a daily part of our commute in 2018. When you look at the number of major roadwork projects, it’s no wonder we were angry. Some of the projects left residents muttering bleepable words, and prompted them to ask what, if anything, was happening to clear up the projects.

The following projects have finally been completed.

Main Street Bridge

Marked by a ribbon-cutting and bridge reopening, the Main Street Bridge that connects Slatington and Walnutport opened to traffic on Oct. 12.

After several delays, the Main Street Bridge, over the Lehigh River in the Northern Lehigh area, closed in August.

Although the bridge was closed to vehicles while work was underway, plans were made so that emergency medical services were still able to use it.

Eighteen Northern Lehigh district vehicles, buses, minibuses and vans had to use the detour through the Lehigh Gap, which added travel time to each of those runs in the morning and afternoon. Some buses added more than an hour of travel time, cumulatively, Superintendent Matthew Link said.

Traffic was detoured on Route 873, Route 145 and Route 248.

Pedestrian access was maintained on the bridge during the deck replacement.

The deck, originally constructed in 1969, had been rated as poor, and the bridge is being replaced with a 48.5-foot-wide by 419-foot-long deck.

This section of Main Street has an average daily traffic volume of 10,015 vehicles.

The Main Street Bridge was one of four in the Lehigh Valley being repaired under a $2.5 million contract.

Work on the bridges include repairing steel, decks, beams, bearings, joints and scouring countermeasures for the bridges over waterways.

The general contractor was H&K Group of Skippack, Montgomery County.

209/West Broad Street

Over in Schuylkill County, the Route 209/West Broad Street Bridge over Wabash Creek in Tamaqua reopened to traffic on Aug. 24.

The bridge replacement project began in April, and Route 209/West Broad Street was closed and detoured from June 6 between South Railroad and South Lehigh streets.

The bridge spans West Broad Street from Berwick Street to the area in front of La Dolce Casa Restaurant, as the Wabash Creek meanders its way through town.

During the closure, the detour for passenger vehicles was South Railroad Street, West Spruce Street and South Lehigh Street. The separate posted detour route for trucks is Route 309, Route 54, Interstate 81 and Route 61.

Work on the project included replacing the old stone arch bridge with a precast reinforced concrete arch culvert, new bridge roadway approaches, new line painting, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant curb ramps and minor landscaping.

J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen was the general contractor on the $2,137,456 project.

The old Route 209 Bridge was constructed in 1912. It was 20 feet long, 30 feet wide and was posted with a 28-ton weight restriction. The new culvert is 18 feet 7¾ inches long, 51 feet 9 inches wide, and has no restrictions. This section of Route 209 has an average daily traffic volume of 5,626 vehicles.

Mansion House Hill retaining wall

Retaining wall repairs along the Mansion House Hill in Mahoning Township were completed in August.

During the project, traffic was reduced to one lane in both directions.

The two-lane section of Route 209 north was down to a single lane, while the single lane of Route 209 south was shifted away from the wall.

Earlier this year, the southbound lane of Route 209 leading into Jim Thorpe was closed because of a deteriorating wall.

The damage, PennDOT said, was likely due to long-term erosion from drainage pipes.

This section of Route 209 has an average daily traffic volume of 9,814 vehicles.

J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen was the general contractor.

Ongoing projects Route 248 Bridge

Perhaps no project has infuriated motorists more than the replacement of the Route 248 bridge.

PennDOT spokesman Sean Brown said last month he has not gotten “an answer about the bridge work and when it’s going to be complete.”

“They have additional work to do, and they have not finalized a schedule,” Brown said. “When we do have more information, we will provide it.”

The status of the bridge replacement project recently came under scrutiny by state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon.

Heffley sent a letter to state Department of Transportation secretary Leslie Richards detailing his frustration with the project.

In his letter, Heffley raised concerns over public safety and work delays relating to the replacement of the bridge.

Work on the bridge will cost about $1.1 million, and is part of a $5.9 million contract awarded to Kriger Construction Inc. of Scranton to replace 13 bridges in three counties.

The bridge carries Route 248 over Norfolk Southern Rail lines and was built in 1962.

PennDOT announced in July that the Route 248 bridge project was expected to be completed in November, but it was not finished.

In response to the letter, Young said there have been some issues with the bridge.

PennDOT spokesman Ron Young said that the expansion dams expand and contract with weather conditions, and noted that when the contractor started to replace them, they realized the original design didn’t fit with what they were seeing on the bridge, and that they had to reorder them.

He said that isn’t “uncommon” when dealing with a bridge maintenance contract.

Young said this particular contract has 13 bridges, and the contractor has a start date and completion date to do all the bridges.

He said the dates are “anticipated, estimated,” and that “as long as they get the work done between the start and finish dates, they are in compliance with the original contract. They have until August 2019 to finish all the bridges.”

The project officially began in August 2016.

Route 209 bridge

A project to repair the Route 209 Bridge in Franklin Township remains underway.

Work on the 209 bridge over Pohopoco Creek between Rock Street and Harrity Road includes deck repairs, replacing railing, inlet cleaning, joint repairs and rock protection at the abutments.

It has resulted in 24-hour lane restrictions in both directions, with restrictions in effect from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Klinger Construction Inc. is the contractor for the bridge repair project.

The three-span concrete I-beam bridge was originally built in 1968.

It is 212 feet long and 76 feet wide, and has 11,612 vehicles travel it daily.

The project began in April and was supposed to be completed by Nov. 19.

The work is part of a $5.7 million bridge maintenance project to repair 13 structures in Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill counties.

Kresgeville bridge

Just a few miles ahead, the completion of the new bridge carrying Route 209 (Interchange Road) over Middle Creek in Polk Township has been delayed until late January.

Construction was anticipated to be completed this month, as part of PennDOT’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project.

One lane of alternating traffic controlled by signals, currently in place through the work zone, will be maintained until the construction of the new bridge is completed.

Future projects

248 retaining wall

On Nov. 27, PennDOT announced a long-term lane restriction will be implemented on Route 248 west due to a damaged concrete retaining wall in Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County.

The lane on Route 248 west has been restricted between Route 873 and Delaware Avenue. A recent inspection revealed damage to a 25-foot high section of the wall along the mountainside.

PennDOT hired a contractor to make necessary repairs to the damaged wall, and for safety reasons the long-term lane restriction on Route 248 west will remain in place until the repairs are complete.

Work is scheduled to begin in late February/early March and at times will entail weeknight lane closures on 248 east and west between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. (during which time a single lane of Route 248 west traffic will be shifted onto Route 248 east to provide space for maneuvering equipment and materials).

Work will include removing loose dirt and installing retaining wall anchors into the bedrock behind the wall.

This section of Route 248 has an average daily traffic volume of 20,438 vehicles, 9,881 vehicles on Route 248 west, 10,557 vehicles on Route 248 east.

H&K Group Inc. of Skippack, is the general contractor on the $986,222 emergency project that is expected to be complete by July 5.

Mansion House Hill rock slide project

A longer-term project to address rock slides on the Mansion House Hill is also underway.

The Route 209 Mansion House Hill rock slide project includes the removal of loose rocks from Flagstaff Mountain between Jim Thorpe and Lehighton, and the installation of netting.

The $3 million project will include the removal of loose rocks from Flagstaff Mountain between Jim Thorpe and Lehighton, the improvement of a retaining wall and shoulder and the installation of netting.

Lumber and loose rock will be cleared up first, after which netting will be installed in several areas. Installation of bolts and ties, along with simple spot repairs, will follow.