The left-turn lane for northbound Route 209 traffic at the Jim Thorpe bridge, where construction is ongoing on a new Route 903 bridge, has been blocked by orange cones.

The lane is located closest to the dropoff where the construction work is occurring.A few weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was summoned to the scene when there was a report that a piece of the road was sinking because of the construction.This has led some motorists and residents to the assumption that maybe with trees being removed from the vertical cliff, there was a problem."Not so," PennDOT says.Ronald Young, district press officer for PennDOT, said, "It is part of the maintenance and protection of traffic for while they (the contractors) perform work on a wall along that section of Route 209. For the safety of motorists on 209 as well as the construction workers, they are restricting the lane while this work occurs."Young estimates the restriction will be lifted in about two weeks.The new bridge is being constructed parallel to the existing Route 903 bridge which intersects with Route 209.The present bridge was built more than 60 years ago.PennDOT says work is on schedule.The $28 million project is being done by Allan A. Myers L.P. of Worcester, Montgomery County.The project is slated for completion in July 2017.