Drainage work on state route 209 between Lehighton and Jim Thorpe began Tuesday and is expected to wrap up by Feb. 5, weather permitting. This is the first phase of the project planned for the roadway.

The $1,710,782 project, paid for through federal stimulus funds, includes the drainage work, which is being done now, and resurfacing of four-miles of the highway between the Thomas J. McCall Memorial Bridge in Lehighton and Susquehanna Street in Jim Thorpe.The traffic restrictions, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, will entail some inconveniences to drivers, and the state Department of Transportation is encouraging people to allow extra time and to be patient and cautious.The entire project began on Nov. 16 and is expected to finish by July.Congress on Feb. 13, 2009, passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the economic stimulus program. President Barack Obama signed it into law on Feb. 17, 2009.