Pennsylvania Department of Transportation invites the public to a virtual plans display for the bridge deck replacement project on the Race Street Bridge over the Lehigh River in Whitehall Township and Catasauqua Borough.

The project will include the replacement of the concrete bridge deck, sidewalk and barrier. Roadway improvements include full-depth pavement reconstruction, construction of Americans with Disabilities Act curb ramps and the installation of guide rails on each bridge approach.

The existing lighting on the bridge is expected to be maintained.

The replacement of the deck, sidewalk and barrier is expected to be completed under detour in the summer of 2023. Supplemental work is expected to be completed from the fall of 2022 to the summer of 2023 under short-term traffic patterns during off-peak periods.

Race Street is expected to be closed for approximately a six-week duration in the summer of 2023. A 1.5-mile car detour will be posted using Pine, Second, First, Front and Race streets.

In addition, a 4.5-mile truck detour will also be posted using North Dauphin, Lehigh, Third, North Front and North Bradford streets, First and Fullerton avenues and American Parkway.

PennDOT is seeking public input on the project. To access the Web page, visit PennDOT.gov/District5, click on the public meetings link under the district links heading, pick the Lehigh County box and choose Race Street Bridge over Lehigh River project.

The purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project and solicit public input, questions or concerns regarding the project. It is also an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the project’s potential effect upon cultural resources pursuant to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 36 CFR Part 800 regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

In accordance with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the plans display will be held online. A digital version of the information will be available to view online until Aug. 13.