Lehighton, 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.
Statewide from January through October, 5,385 roadway miles were improved, including 1,941 miles of paving. In the same timeframe, work advanced on 401 state and locally owned bridges. Additionally, 356 construction contracts for highway, bridge, and other improvement projects were completed statewide through PennDOT's private-sector partners so far this year.
Since taking office, Governor Josh Shapiro has secured over $300 million in new infrastructure funding to maintain Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges – reducing the Pennsylvania State Police’s reliance on the Motor License Fund, delivering more funding for transportation while ensuring our law enforcement officers are sustainably funded.
In the east central region, 183 bridges were or will be repaired, replaced, or preserved by PennDOT or industry forces, 1,076 miles of roadway were improved by department or partner crews, and 45 construction contracts for highway, bridge, and other improvement projects were completed through PennDOT's private-sector partners.
There are currently 95 construction contracts with an estimated contract value of $1.22 billion active across the six-county region.
The event was held at one of the projects that finished this year, the Route 443 Improvement Project in Carbon County.
“The goal of the Route 443 Improvement Project was to improve safety and reduce congestion,” said Kufro. “So far, it appears to be working. I thank everyone who worked to design and build all the road and bridge projects this year in east central Pennsylvania.”
Work on the $21.9 million Route 443 project included reconstructing the roadway in Lehighton Borough and Mahoning Township, adding a center turn lane along the corridor, adding left-turn lanes and traffic signal improvements at two intersections, drainage improvements, and rehabilitating the Route 443 bridge over Mahoning Creek.
In addition, the Route 902/South 9th Street bridge over Mahoning Creek was replaced and the intersection of Routes 902 and 443 were realigned to make a “T” intersection.
Some other notable projects that were completed or substantially completed this year in District 5 include:
Berks County
- Improving I-78 including patching, milling, and paving in Bethel, Upper Bern and Upper Tulpehocken townships, $18.6 million.
- Improving the intersection of Routes 12 and 73 including installing left turn lanes and new traffic signal equipment in Ruscombmanor Township, $5.8 million.
- Milling and paving Spring Street in City of Reading, $1.6 million.
Lehigh County
- Routes 222 and 863 roundabout in Upper Macungie Township, $15.6 million.
- Milling, patching, and paving I-78 in Lower and Upper Macungie townships, $13.38 million.
- Streetscape improvements on South Main Street in Coopersburg Borough, $3 million.
- Milling and paving Route 873 in Slatington Borough, North Whitehall and Washington townships, $2.97 million.
- Milling and paving Route 987/Airport Road in City of Bethlehem and Hanover Township, $1.45 million.
- Milling and paving Broadway in Fountain Hill Borough and Salisbury Township, $1.2 million.
Monroe County
- Intersection widening and realignment at Routes 209 and 115 in Chestnuthill Township, $18.7 million.
- Replacing the Long Pond Road bridge over Tunkhannock Creek in Tunkhannock Township, $3.67 million.
- Milling and paving Route 209 in Middle Smithfield and Smithfield townships, $1.98 million.
Northampton County
- Milling and paving Route 22 in Wilson Borough, Bethlehem and Palmer townships and Route 33 in Bethlehem and Palmer townships, $17.1 million.
- Milling, paving and traffic signal upgrades on Linden Street in City of Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township, $5.93 million.
- Widening, paving, traffic signal upgrades, and drainage upgrades on Main Street/Tatamy Road in Tatamy Borough, Forks and Palmer townships, $5.5 million.
- Milling and paving Route 191 in Nazareth Borough and Lower Nazareth Township, $2.2 million.
- Milling and paving Route 191 in Stockertown Borough and Plainfield Township, $2.1 million.
- Traffic signal upgrades on Route 248 in Lehigh Township, $1.6 million.
Schuylkill County
- Milling and paving Route 61 in City of Pottsville, Palo Alto Borough, Schuylkill Haven Borough and North Manheim Township, $7 million.
- Milling, patching, and paving Route 183 in Wayne Township, $5.96 million.
- Replacement of the Route 443/Columbia Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Schuylkill Haven Borough, $4.2 million.
- Mount Carbon Bowstring Truss pedestrian bridge over Mill Creek in St. Clair Borough, $3 million.
- Replacement of the Berne Drive bridge over Red Creek in South Manheim Township, $1.15 million.
Multiple Counties
- Improving I-78 including patching, milling, paving and bridge preservation in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, $23.8 million.
- Milling, patching, and resurfacing of I-78 west in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County and Lower Saucon Township and City of Bethlehem, Northampton County, $13 million.
- Milling and paving Route 33 in Hamilton and Ross townships, Monroe County, and Plainfield Township, Northampton County, $9.5 million.
Some notable projects continuing into 2025 in District 5 include:
Berks County
- Reconstructing I-78, including rehabilitating the bridge over the Schuylkill River and upgrading the Route 61 interchange, in Tilden Township and Hamburg Borough, $132.2 million.
- Replacing the I-78 Bridge over Maiden Creek and Route 143 in Greenwich Township, $120 million.
- Project to improve Route 61 including patching, milling, paving, rehabilitation of three bridges and the replacement of one bridge in Hamburg Borough and Tilden Township, $30.3 million.
- Project to improve I-78 including patching, milling, and paving in Tilden and Upper Bern townships, estimated $21.72 million.
- Project to improve Route 61 including resurfacing, drainage upgrades and bridge maintenance in Tilden Township, $13.5 million.
- Replacing the Route 183/Schuylkill Avenue bridge over Norfolk Southern Railroad in the City of Reading, $8.47 million.
- Milling and paving Route 100 in Bally Borough, Colebrookdale and Washington townships, $4.7 million.
- Replacing Weavertown Road Bridge in Amity Township, $4.2 million.
Carbon County
- Replacing the I-80 Bridge over the Lehigh River, Lehigh Gorge State Park, Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, and River Road in East Side Borough, Carbon County and White Haven Borough, Luzerne County, $120 million.
Lehigh County
- Reconstructing Route 309 at Tilghman Street interchange in South Whitehall Township, $86.47 million.
- Improving I-78 including patching, milling, paving, safety barrier, and drainage improvements in Upper Macungie and Weisenberg townships, $13.4 million.
- Intersection and roadway improvements on Race Street in Catasauqua Borough, $10.2 million.
- Intersection and roadway improvements on Route 145 in City of Allentown, $7.36 million.
- Traffic signal improvements on Route 145/MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, $5.8 million.
- Milling and paving Route 145 in North Whitehall Township, $4.8 million.
- Milling and paving Airport Road in Hanover Township and City of Allentown, $3 million.
- Traffic signal improvements on Route 29 in Salisbury Township, $3.3 million.
Monroe County
- Realigning and reconstructing the Exit 308/Prospect Street interchange on I-80 in East Stroudsburg Borough, $93.8 million.
- Routes 611 and 715 intersection improvements in Pocono Township, $14.99 million.
- Milling and paving Route 209 in Hamilton Township, $10.85 million.
- Milling and paving Route 115 in Tobyhanna Township, $3.49 million.
- Milling and paving Route 611 in Hamilton, Pocono, and Stroud townships, $2.44 million.
- Milling and paving Business Route 209 in East Stroudsburg Borough, $1.75 million.
Northampton County
- Replacing the I-78 east and west bridges over Easton Road in Lower Saucon Township, $15.8 million.
- Route 248 realignment in Bath Borough, $5.42 million.
- Milling and paving Route 191 in Nazareth and Stockertown boroughs, Palmer and Upper Nazareth townships, $3.52 million.
- Milling and paving Route 191 in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth townships, estimated $1.6 million.
- Traffic signal improvements on Routes 248 and 512 in Bath Borough, $1.2 million.
Schuylkill County
- Reconstruction and safety improvements on Route 61 in Frackville and St. Clair boroughs, Blythe, New Castle, Ryan and West Mahanoy townships, $115 million.
- Milling, patching, and paving I-81 in Foster, Frailey, Pine Grove, and Tremont townships, $13.2 million.
- Milling and paving Route 54 in Mahanoy, Rush and Ryan townships, $2.6 million.
Multiple Counties
- Improving I-78 including patching, milling, paving and bridge preservation in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, $23.3 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 of I-78 west in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County and Lower Saucon Township and City of Bethlehem, Northampton County, $13 million.
- Rehabilitating Route 873 Bridge over Lehigh River in Washington Township, Lehigh County and Lehigh Township, Northampton County, estimated $6.9 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. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following local alerts on X.
For more information about infrastructure in District 5, including completed work and significant projects, visit www.penndot.pa.gov/D5Results.
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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