A portion of Interstate 476 in Pennsylvania will be closed over the weekend as construction crews attempt to complete 18 months of work in 55 hours.
I-476, otherwise known as the Northeast Extension, will be closed at mile marker 57.6 near Allentown beginning on Friday, October 13th at 9 p.m. The closure will last until 4 a.m. on Monday, October 16th.
According to NBC Philadelphia, crews will be working to replace the I-beam bridge over Crackersport Road in South Whitehall Township with a new bridge made of steel plates.
It would usually take construction crews around 18 months to complete a bridge restoration project like this one but, due to the 30,000 motorists that use I-476 each day, crews will attempt to get the project done over the course of 55 hours. In order for crews to accomplish this goal, the bridge has already been constructed. Crews will just need to remove the old bridge and slide the new one into place.
Throughout the duration of the closure, drivers traveling north will be directed off the Interstate at the Lehigh Valley Interchange at exit 56. Drivers traveling south will be directed off the interstate at the Poconos Interchange at exit 95. These drivers will then detour along Route 22, Route 33, and Interstate 80.
This detour will stretch a commute that is regularly 35 minutes into a 70-mile commute taking approximately 70 minutes.
There is another, ‘local detour’ available along Route 209. This detour is approximately 60 miles and could take around 65 minutes.
The Route 903 interchange at exit 87 and the Route 74 Interchange at Mahoning Valley will still be accessible to southbound drivers, but drivers will be unable to pass through Mahoning Valley.
“Motorists will face a lengthy detour that will add more than an hour to their travel time,” said turnpike CEO Mark Compton.
“As a result, we strongly advise customers to avoid this area or plan for extra travel time during the detour weekend,” he continued.
In the case of inclement weather, the bridge replacement will take place from October 20th through the 23rd.
