On May 26 PennDOT District 5 staff were joined by elected officials, business leaders and owners, and hundreds of people for a block party on the rehabilitated Tilghman Street Bridge over the Lehigh River, Norfolk Southern Railroad, waterfront development and local streets in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County.
"We are pleased to open this signature structure," District Executive Michael W. Rebert said. "And we thank everyone for their patience while the bridge was closed."
The Tilghman Street Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in January 2018 to allow the bridge to be rehabilitated.
The bridge rehabilitation work included deck replacement, roadway approach reconstruction, lighting upgrades, drainage work, concrete curb and sidewalk upgrades, signing and pavement markings and other miscellaneous construction.
The Tilghman Street Bridge is a 12-span concrete open spandrel arch bridge originally constructed in 1929 and rehabilitated in 1995. It is 1,387 feet long and 53 feet wide. This section of Tilghman Street has an average daily traffic of 17,398 vehicles.
D.A. Collins Construction Co., Inc. of Wilton, NY, was the general contractor on the $24,990,570 project.
The Block Party was organized by Executive Education Academy Charter School and the City of Allentown.
Several East Side Allentown businesses and organizations participated in the event including: First Commonwealth Credit Union, Gummy Bears Learning Center, Bull & Bear Restaurant, AW Driving School, Iron Pigs Baseball, Center for Humanistic Change, Puerto Rican Culture Preservation, Tool 4 Success, Louis E. Dieruff High School, Community Services for Children, Lehigh Valley Children's Center, Pennsylvania Career Link, Linton's Food Management, Department of Human Services, BLVD Carwash, Punta Cana Restaurant, The Vegan Butcher Restaurant, Action Party Rental, Fifi's Ice Cream Truck, CVS Pharmacy, Jaindl Enterprises, Adams Outdoor Advertising and Jeldes Automotive Services LLC.
Attendees were able to enjoy games, giveaways, and a presentation of vehicles from The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage, America on Wheels, and Lehigh Valley Car Meets & Car Shows.
The block party was from 12 PM to 2 PM, and the Bridge was opened to vehicular traffic immediately after the block party.