Allentown, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 5 Executive Chris Kufro highlighted projects that had active work this year in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.
This year the District 5 team repaired or replaced 362 bridges, paved 64 miles of roadways, and seal coated another 345 miles of roadways.
Statewide from January through November, PennDOT improved 6,531 roadway miles, including 2,237 miles of paving. The miles improved has already surpassed the 2022 total of 6,414 miles improved. Through November this year, 587 state and locally owned bridges were put out for bid to be repaired, replaced, or preserved by PennDOT or industry forces. Additionally, 453 construction contracts for highway, bridge, and other improvement projects were completed statewide through PennDOT's private-sector partners so far this year.
In the east central region, 95 projects with a contract value of $958 million are currently active. A total of 60 projects, including two local projects, were or will be let in 2023 with the low or estimated bid value of $395 million.
The event was held near one of the projects that finished this year, the Interstate 78 Improvement Project in Berks County.
The project included reconstructing the existing four lanes (two east and two west), drainage system improvements, message sign boards, signing, three drainage culvert extensions, new construction of five precast concrete sound barriers, one retaining wall, replacing three dual single-span pre-stressed concrete Bulb-Tee Bridges, one single-span pre-stressed concrete Bulb-Tee Bridge, two single-span pre-stressed concrete spread box beam bridges, and other miscellaneous construction work all contained within an overall project length of 8.7 miles.
The project also included adding a third lane (“truck climbing lane”) eastbound and westbound on the hill just east of Route 737.
“The Interstate 78 Improvement Project updated this stretch of highway to current standards and will improve safety,” Kufro said. “PennDOT will continue to work with regional planning partners to identify projects and continue improving safety and mobility in east central Pennsylvania.”
Notable projects that continued this year include:
• Reconstructing and widening I-78, including rehabilitating the bridge over the Schuylkill River and upgrading the Route 61 interchange, in Tilden Township and Hamburg Borough, Berks County, $132.2 million.
• Project to improve I-78 including patching, milling, paving and bridge preservation in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, $23.3 million.
• Milling, patching, paving, bridge repairs and guiderail replacement on Route 12 in City of Reading, Wyomissing Borough, and Spring Township, Berks County, $9.28 million.
• Replacing the Carsonia Avenue bridge over Antietam Creek in Lower Alsace Township, Berks County, $5.2 million.
• Replacing the Route 568 bridge over Allegheny Creek in Robeson Township, Berks County, $2 million.
• Reconstructing and widening Route 443 in Lehighton Borough and Mahoning Township, Carbon County, $21.2 million.
• Project to improve I-78 including patching, milling, paving, safety barrier, and drainage improvements in Lehigh County, $13.4 million.
• Milling and paving Route 873 in Slatington Borough, North Whitehall and Washington townships, Lehigh County, $4.2 million.
• Realigning and reconstructing the Exit 308/Prospect Street interchange on I-80 in East Stroudsburg Borough, Monroe County, $93.8 million.
• Intersection widening and realignment at Routes 209 and 115 in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County, $18.7 million.
• Milling and paving Route 33 in Hamilton and Ross townships, Monroe County, and Plainfield Township, Northampton County, $9.5 million.
• Milling and paving Business 209 in East Stroudsburg Borough and Smithfield Township, Monroe County, $2.4 million.
• Milling and paving U.S. 22 in Wilson Borough, Bethlehem and Palmer townships and Route 33 in Bethlehem and Palmer townships, Northampton County, $16 million.
• Milling and paving Route 61 in City of Pottsville, Palo Alto Borough, Schuylkill Haven Borough and North Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, $7 million.
• Replacing the Route 443/Columbia Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Schuylkill Haven Borough, Schuylkill County, $4.2 million.
Notable projects that began or went out for bid this year include:
• Project to improve I-78 including patching, milling, and paving in Bethel, Upper Bern and Upper Tulpehocken townships, Berks County, $17.8 million.
• Intersection improvements at Routes 12 and 73 in Ruscombmanor Township, Berks County, $5.5 million.
• Intersection and roadway improvements on Race Street in Catasauqua Borough, Lehigh County, $10.2 million.
• Traffic signal improvements on Route 145/MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, $5.8 million.
• Milling and paving Route 145 in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, $4.8 million.
• Traffic signal improvements on Route 29 in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, $3.3 million.
• Replacing Route 329 “Cementon” Bridge over the Lehigh River in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County and Northampton Borough, Northampton County, $21.7 million.
• Milling, patching, and resurfacing I-78 in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County and Lower Saucon Township and City of Bethlehem, Northampton County, $13 million.
• Milling and paving Route 611 in Hamilton, Pocono, and Stroud townships, Monroe County, $2.44 million.
• Replacing the Route 33 north and south bridges over Bushkill Creek in Stockertown Borough and Palmer Township, Northampton County, $21.7 million.
• Milling, paving and traffic signal upgrades on Linden Street in City of Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, $5.9 million.
• Milling and paving Route 191 in Plainfield and Upper Nazareth townships, Northampton County, $2.3 million.
• Milling and paving Route 191 in Nazareth Borough and Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County, $2.3 million.
• Milling, patching, and paving I-81 in Foster, Frailey, Pine Grove, and Tremont townships, Schuylkill County, $12.9 million.
• Milling, patching, and paving of Route 183 in Wayne Township, Schuylkill County, nearly $6 million.
Notable projects completed this year include:
• Reconstructing I-78 between Exit 35 (PA 143/Lenhartsville) and Lehigh County line in Greenwich Township, Berks County, $172.9 million.
• Traffic signal upgrades on Spring Street in the City of Reading, Berks County, $2.7 million.
• Milling and paving Route 61 in Leesport Borough and Ontelaunee Township, Berks County, $1.5 million.
• Milling and paving Route 562 between Business Route 422/Perkiomen Avenue and Shelbourne Road in St. Lawrence Borough and Exeter Township, Berks County, $1.2 million.
• Installing a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 222, Route 863, and Schantz Road in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, $14.2 million.
• Milling and paving Route 145/MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, $6.5 million.
• Milling and paving Route 191 in Bangor Borough, Plainfield and Washington townships, Northampton County, $2.8 million.
• Milling and paving U.S. 209 in Tamaqua and Coaldale boroughs, Schuylkill County, $5 million.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties at www.penndot.gov/District5.
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