The next phase of construction for the structurally deficient Route 209 Thomas J. McCall Memorial Bridge will begin Friday.

This phase will begin a summer of traffic headaches when the southbound lanes of the bridge heading toward Lehighton will be closed.The southbound traffic will be detoured on Canal and Bridge streets, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced.Route 209 will be open with a single traffic lane northbound, allowing drivers to travel toward the turnpike.Also on Friday, Bridge Street will be temporarily converted to a one-way road southbound.A temporary traffic signal will be placed at the intersection of Bridge Street and Route 209.According to PennDOT, the project will include:• Pier 4, the fourth pier from the east/Weissport side, will be removed and replaced.• Piers 14 and 15, the 14th and 15th piers from the east/Weissport side, will have diaphragms removed and replaced. The bridge has a total of 15 piers.• All 17 bridge deck joints will be removed and replaced.• All scuppers 38 inlets with drain spouts will be removed and replaced.• Installing 101 new laminated neoprene bearing pads, which are what the bridge bearings rest on.• Removing and replacing abutment walls on both bridge abutments.• Reconstructing roadway approaches at both bridge abutments.The whole process will require 5,500 square yards of concrete, according to PennDOT spokesman Ron Young.This phase is estimated to be completed in September.Updates will be provided whenever traffic patterns change on area roadways.The bridge spans over the Lehigh River, Lehigh Canal and Norfolk Southern rail line in Franklin Township, Lehighton, and Weissport boroughs.J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen, Chester County, is the general contractor on the $11.8 million project.The 16-span, steel deck truss bridge was originally constructed in 1938 and reconstructed in 1981. It is 1,539 feet long and 42 feet wide.This section of Route 209 has an average daily traffic volume of 23,529 vehicles.Follow local PennDOT information on Twitterat

www.twitter.com/51PA-Allentownhttp://www.twitter.com/511PAAllentown.