BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Officials with the state Transportation Department's District 5 say there’s more than $240 million invested into road improvement projects in and around the Lehigh Valley.
The funding includes notable projects continuing into the new year, as well as those anticipated to begin in 2025, officials confirmed.
PennDOT’s District 5 is a six-county region that includes Lehigh and Northampton counties. Additional funding also will be directed to projects that span multiple counties, including patching, milling and bridge preservation in neighboring Berks County.
The largest sum dedicated to any one project in the area is $86.47 million dedicated to reconstruction of Route 309 at Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township.Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
The largest sum dedicated to any one project in the area is $86.47 million dedicated to reconstruction of Route 309 at Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township.
The scope of work for the ongoing project involves the reconfiguration of the Route 309 and Tilghman Street interchange.
This project includes two bridge replacements at Route 309 over Tilghman Street and Broadway, along with rehabilitation of the Route 309 culvert over Little Cedar Creek.
It also includes roadway drainage improvements, base repair, overlay and two new signals at the end of the reconfigured ramps that will be coordinated with existing signals at Hausman Road/Cetronia Road and Tilghman Street/Parkway Road.
Lehigh County projects
Additional projects in Lehigh County include:
- Improving Interstate 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, $10.2 million
- Intersection and roadway improvements on Route 145 in 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 Allentown, $3 million
- Traffic signal improvements on Route 29 in Salisbury Township, $3.3 million
- Traffic signal improvements at two intersections along Mauch Chunk Road in South Whitehall Township, estimated $1.5 million-$1.8 million (beginning 2025)
- Replacement of the Indian Creek Road Bridge over Leibert Creek in Upper Milford Township, estimated $1.54 million-$1.7 million (beginning 2025)
Northampton County projects
In Northampton County, bridge replacement has been top of mind.
One of the bigger projects includes the rehabilitation of the I-78 east and west bridges over Easton Road in Lower Saucon Township, at a cost of $15.8 million.
Additionally, the replacement of the Farmersville Road Bridge over Route 22 in Bethlehem Township is slated to begin in 2025 at a cost of $4.3 million.
It comes after Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration said 183 bridges in East Central Pennsylvania were repaired or replaced in 2024.
Additional projects in Northampton County include:
- Route 248 realignment in Bath, $5.42 million
- Milling and paving Route 191 in Nazareth Stockertown, and Palmer and Upper Nazareth townships, $3.52 million
- Milling and paving Route 191 in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth townships, $1.6 million
- Traffic signal improvements on Routes 248 and 512 in Bath, $1.2 million
- Construction of a retaining wall along Route 611 in Williams Township, $4.1 million (beginning 2025)
- Replacement of the Raubsville Road Bridge over Freys Run in Williams Township, $2.1 million-$2.4 million (beginning 2025)
Multiple-county projects
Projects spanning 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, Northampton County, $21.7 million
- Milling, patching and resurfacing of I-78 west in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, and Lower Saucon Township and Bethlehem, Northampton County, $13 million
- Rehabilitating Route 873 Bridge over Lehigh River in Washington Township, Lehigh County, and Lehigh Township, Northampton County, $6.9 million
According to PennDOT, there are 95 construction contracts with an estimated contract value of $1.22 billion active across the six-county region of District 5.
