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The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today the rehabilitated Tilghman Street Bridge over the Lehigh River, Norfolk Southern Railroad, waterfront development and local streets in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County is now open.

“We are pleased to open this signature structure,” District Executive Michael W. Rebert said. “And we thank everyone for their patience while the bridge was closed.”

The Tilghman Street Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in January 2018 to allow the bridge to be rehabilitated. During the closure traffic was detoured between Front and Dauphin streets. The posted detour used Front Street, American Parkway, North Bradford Street and Dauphin Street. Pedestrian access was maintained on the bridge throughout construction.

The bridge was originally anticipated to open in June 2021, but due to COVID-related delays and unanticipated bridge deterioration the bridge opening was delayed.

Workers found some additional deterioration to the bridge deck floor beams and there was more concrete than anticipated that needed to be replaced or repaired.

The bridge rehabilitation work included bridge rehabilitation, deck replacement, roadway approach reconstruction, lighting upgrades, drainage work, concrete curb and sidewalk upgrades, signing and pavement markings and other miscellaneous construction.

The Tilghman Street Bridge is a 12-span concrete open spandrel arch bridge originally constructed in 1929 and rehabilitated in 1995. It is 1,387 feet long and 53 feet wide. This section of Tilghman Street has an average daily traffic of 17,398 vehicles.

D.A. Collins Construction Co., Inc. of Wilton, NY, is the general contractor on the $24,990,570 project.     

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state’s transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

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 regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Follow regional PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAAllentown, and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation.  

MEDIA CONTACTS: Ronald J. Young, Jr., M.P.A., 610-871-4555, ronyoung@pa.gov; Sean A. Brown, 610-871-4556, sebrown@pa.gov.

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