Travel Advisory

                  Pennsylvania Turnpike Plans Weekend Closure between
                      Lehigh Valley and Mahoning Valley Interchanges
Continuous, 55-hour closure Sept. 6 - 9 necessary for bridge demolition and replacement.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is warning motorists of a continuous, 55-hour weekend closure planned between the Lehigh Valley Interchange, Exit 56, and the Mahoning Valley Interchange, Exit 74, on the PA Turnpike’s Northeastern Extension (I-476) from Sept. 6 to 9 for bridge work.

The roadway will be closed in both directions starting at 9 p.m. on Sept. 6 until 4 a.m. on Sept 9. 

The lengthy closure is needed for crews to safely demolish the current bridge that carries the Turnpike over State Route 309 in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County at milepost A58.88 while replacing it with a new steel superstructure that will be installed. 

The construction technique being used, Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC), eliminates the need for months or years of single-lane traffic patterns and other motorist restrictions by closing that part of the roadway for a limited period over a weekend.  

The new superstructure, which has been under construction since 2018, is being built near the existing bridge.  The 90-foot long bridge opened to traffic on April 1, 1957 and today carries roughly 30,000 vehicles per day, combined north/south.

For 55 hours, the PA Turnpike will implement a detour of I-476 in both directions. State Route 309, located beneath the bridge, will also be closed between Chapmans Road and Snowdrift Road.  Detour routes will be marked for through and local traffic.  Motorists are urged to avoid the area if possible, but if travelling in this region, drivers should pay close attention to the orange and black directional signs.

SOUTHBOUND DETOUR - LOCAL TRAFFIC:

Exit at Mahoning Valley Exit #74 and take U.S. Route 209 North to State Route 33 South (21.2 miles). Follow Route 33 South to U.S. Route 22 West (18.4 miles). Follow U.S. 22 West and reenter I-476 South at Lehigh Valley Interchange #56 (15.8 miles).

SOUTHBOUND DETOUR - THROUGH TRAFFIC:

Exit at Pocono Exit #95 and take Interstate 80 East to State Route 33 South (25.5 miles).  Follow State Route 33 South to U.S. Route 22 West (23.6 miles). Follow U.S. Route 22 West and reenter I-476 South at Lehigh Valley Interchange Exit #56 (15.8 miles).

NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC:

Exit at Lehigh Valley Exit #56 and take U.S. Route 22 East to State Route 33 North (16.5 miles).  Follow State Route 33 North to Interstate 80 West (24.5 miles).  Follow Interstate 80 West and reenter I-476 at Pocono Interchange Exit #95 (25.1 miles).

STATE ROUTE 309 DETOUR:

SR 309 will be closed at the Turnpike overpass between Chapmans Road and Snowdrift Road.  Motorists will be directed to Route 22 and Route 100.

This bridge replacement is part of the accelerated bridge construction (ABC) program, which employs construction methods and materials in a safe, cost-effective way to reduce the time it takes compared to traditional bridge-replacement techniques. With ABC, traffic impacts occur over a single weekend instead of nine to 18 months of intermittent traffic disruptions.

Project details and detour maps are available at paturnpike.com/travel/accelerated_bridge_construction.aspx.

Work schedules are subject to change based on weather conditions.  To report an accident or other emergencies on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone. To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions or to contact us, use one of these resources:

ON THE PA TURNPIKE

·        Variable & Digital Message Signs — nearly 100 signs along the Turnpike

·        Highway Advisory Radio — 1640 AM (tune-in near interchanges)

BY PHONE

·        Turnpike Roadway Information Program (toll-free) — 866-976-TRIP (8747)

·        Customer Assistance Center (toll-free) — 800-331-3414 (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

ON THE WEB

·        TRIPTalk — free, travel-alert smartphone app; download athttps://www.paturnpike.com/travel/trip_talk.aspx

·        Travel Conditions Map — live, inactive conditions map; view athttps://www.paturnpike.com/webmap

·        Waze  — a crowd-sourced navigation app that provides real-time traffic conditions with input from other drivers; download at https://www.waze.com