PennDOT’s more than two-year rehabilitation project on the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, more commonly known as the Eighth Street Bridge in Allentown, is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 5. The southbound travel lane will be closed and detoured while a single lane of northbound traffic will be maintained. Pedestrian travel will also be maintained with one of the two sidewalks remaining open during construction.

The $18.5 million project includes replacing the bridge deck, constructing new alcoves, repairing bridge piers, reconstructing the roadway approaches, installing new ornamental lighting, concrete curbing, concrete sidewalk, protective fencing, pavement markings, and signs.

The posted detour for southbound traffic will use Union and Lehigh streets. To accommodate the detour, the city will temporarily implement a two-way traffic pattern on Union Street between Seventh and Eighth streets for the duration of the project.

The project is scheduled to be completed in December 2016. All schedules are subject to change. IEW Construction Group, Inc. of Trenton, New Jersey is the general contractor.

According to PennDOT, the bridge was originally constructed in 1913 and rehabilitated in 1973. It is a 17-span, concrete open spandrel arch bridge with nine main spans and eight reinforced concrete T-beam approach spans. It is 1,959 feet long and 46 feet wide and has an average daily traffic volume of nearly 17,000 vehicles. 

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