The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is preparing for another busy holiday weekend at the 3,002-acre Beltzville State Park in Carbon County.

Visitors are advised that a Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission bridge construction project will affect traffic flow in the area and will require a detour to get to Pohopoco Drive and the main entrance to the park.In addition to the detour, park visitors should also be reminded that crowds often exceed the capacity of the Beltzville State Park parking lots on holiday weekends and that parking is not permitted on Pohopoco Drive."Many residents of the Lehigh Valley and Hazleton areas travel to enjoy the picnicking, swimming, boating and hiking available at the park, and we are happy to welcome them," Beltzville State Park Manager Devin Buzard said. "Our first concern is the safety or our visitors, and that's why we want people to be aware of the detour issues and parking restrictions."The construction project involves replacing two turnpike mainline bridges that cross State Route 209, the Pohopoco Creek and Pohopoco Drive.As a result, Pohopoco Drive in the area of the turnpike underpass in Franklin Township is closed. The bridges are approximately 0.23 miles north of the Mahoning Valley Interchange (Exit #74) on the Northeastern Extension (I-476).Construction is expected to be completed by June 2016.Traffic has been rerouted between Harrity Road and Grange Road, with a posted detour route directing traffic west on Harrity Road, north on Fairyland Road, east on Grange Road to south on Pohopoco Drive.Local access on Pohopoco Drive in Franklin Township will be available from either direction to the bridge; however, vehicle and pedestrian traffic is not allowed through the underpass. Businesses including the local marine shops on Pohopoco Drive are still accessible to visitors.Beltzville's parking capacity includes 904 spots, plus an additional 400 cars in an adjacent field if conditions allow. Gates to the parking area open at 8 a.m., and on busy holiday weekends the lots can quickly reach capacity. The gates are closed when that occurs.Cars that are parked illegally along Pohopoco Drive are subject to being towed at the owner's expense.Safety is of the utmost concern, and illegally parked vehicles could make it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach the area in addition to the unsafe mixture of vehicles and pedestrian traffic.Attractions at Beltzville State Park include Pohopoco Creek, an excellent trout stream that feeds the 949-acre Beltzville Lake, which is a destination for boaters. Other attractions include the 525-foot sand beach, picnic pavilions and the very popular picnic woods.If visitors are turned away, additional opportunities for outdoor fun and swimming beaches are available at Hickory Run State Park, also in Carbon County, and Tuscarora State Park in Schuylkill County.