Lower Saucon Road Bridge Replacement

County: Northampton
Municipality: Lower Saucon Township
State Route: 2001
Local Name: Lower Saucon Road
Project Type: Bridge Replacement
MPMS Number: 119940
Proposed Construction Start: Spring 2027
Proposed Construction End: Late 2027
Last Updated: November 2025

This project is being designed to replace the bridge carrying SR 2001 (Lower Saucon Road) over the East Branch of Saucon Creek in Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County.

The existing bridge, constructed in 1930, is a single-span concrete-encased rolled steel I-beam superstructure with a length of 33 ft and a curb-to-curb width of 21 ft.  Overall, the bridge is in poor condition due to beam encasement spalling nearly the full length, which has allowed for section loss of the beams. There is also spalling and other concrete deterioration in the substructure. A poor channel alignment has created a scour hole upstream and embankment erosion near the far abutment embankments. There is also a scour hole in the downstream area of the bridge and sediment deposits under the bridge. The project will include repairs to the existing scour hole and sediment deposits, and realigning the creek on the upstream side to prevent future scour issues.

The proposed bridge will be a 45’ single span prestressed concrete spread box beam bridge. The abutments will be set at a 75-degree skew to be better aligned with the anticipated stream relocation. The proposed bridge width will be 29'-4.5" (out to out) and consist of two 10' travel lanes with 3' shoulders. Sidewalks and bike lanes will not be provided. The cross slopes will be 2% for both the roadway approach and the bridge deck, except for tie-ins to existing grade near the project limits.

Other work includes approach roadway, guide rail upgrades, pavement marking upgrades, and utility relocations. The acquisition of right-of-way, temporary construction easements and a drainage easement will be required to complete the work.

Lower Saucon Road is primarily a two-lane undivided roadway with a posted speed limit of 40 mph and currently has an average daily traffic volume of 859 vehicles.

The project will be constructed under a separate car and truck detour. The length of the car detour is 6.2 miles. The length of the truck detour is 8.9 miles. Access to driveways within the project limits will be maintained during construction.