Philip J. Fahy Bridge

By June 17, 1970, the 103-year-old New Street Bridge was demolished next to its replacement. It had only taken eight days to remove the old bridge. The new $5.5 million four-lane bridge, which we know today as the Fahy Bridge, was finished by May 29, 1970. The construction of the new bridge was awarded to No 1 Contracting Company of Pittston, Pa. The first order of business to make room for the new bridge was to remove the old welfare building at Second and Brodhead streets. Next, the contractors demolished two unused smokestacks and two furnaces of Bethlehem Steel Corp. The bridge was named for Philip J. Fahy, a Bethlehem patrolman who was killed in the line of duty. Over 500 people attended the dedication ceremony July 7, 1973.

Minsi Trail Bridge

The expansion of Bethlehem Steel in the early 1900s demanded an additional bridge to serve Bethlehem. A site was selected from Front and Anthracite streets in Northampton Heights on the Southside to the eastern end of Broad Street on the North. It was in the area known as Minsi Trail, an old Native American fording site. William E. Doster was responsible for naming it “Minsi Trail Bridge.” R. E. Newmeyer, an engineer, designed the old iron bridge to carry traffic through the Bethlehem Steel property. Structural failures plagued the bridge in the 1970s. The pedestrian walkways were the first to go. In 1979, PennDOT closed the bridge to pedestrians effecting hundreds of people who used it to walk to work at Bethlehem Steel Corp. A replacement bridge was desperately needed and finally ground was broken in June 1983, 150 feet west of the old structure. The grand opening of a newly built, four-lane Minsi Trail Bridge took place Dec. 21, 1984. The firm of F. C. Wagman of New York constructed the bridge for $14.4 million. It is 3000 feet long and required 11,600 cubic yards of concrete. The old bridge was removed in a single day on May 30, 1985.

Hill to Hill Bridge

In 1841, the Bethlehem Bridge Company built the third bridge to cross the Lehigh River at the same site as the current Hill-to-Hill Bridge. It was a covered wooden bridge, 400 feet long and only 23 feet above Lehigh’s low water mark. The Lehigh River caused damage to Bethlehem’s bridges every time its waters rose. The freshet of 1862 destroyed the northern half of the bridge. It was immediately re-built but it was clear that a different type of bridge would be needed to counter the frequent floods. The situation had become dire by 1915, as the old covered bridge was closed to heavy trucks and teams of horses. Finally, a plan prepared by the engineer, Clarence W. Hudson was approved. The bridge would span between Fountain Hill and a hill located to the west of Church and Main Street, which resulted in the name “Hill-to-Hill.” When it looked like all obstacles to building the bridge were finally surmounted, World War I broke out in 1917. It delayed the construction of the bridge until 1921. The Hill to Hill Bridge opened in 1924. At 6,055 feet in length, was one of the largest in the world. It was considered an engineering marvel when it was first constructed. The original bridge had eight approaches, eleven abutments, 48 piers, and 58 spans.

Lynn Street Bridge

Mayor James M. Yeakle dedicated the Lynn Street Bridge, in Northampton Heights, on Nov. 1, 1928. The contractor was R. J. Rathburn who installed 10 boulevard type lamps along the bridge to provide lighting. Local property owners donated the land for the bridge. It was made of steel supplied by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The bridge was closed in July of this year. A replacement bridge will be constructed in 2016.