Many area motorists traveling through the Thomas J. McCall Memorial Bridge detour in Lehighton had more unexpected extra travel delays this morning as road crews worked to finish up paving along the route.

Lehighton Area School buses were also delayed this morning as a result of traffic backups along routes 209, 248 and 443.Ronald J. Young Jr., district press officer of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, said that paving work, which is supposed to occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., was delayed last night, resulting in crews needing to work later than scheduled this morning.He said everything remains on schedule for this phase of the project and traffic should again be flowing in both directions across the McCall bridge on Friday morning, eliminating the current detour through Weissport.The $11.8 million project on the bridge began in October 2013, with the detour starting on June 6.The project to rehabilitate the 16-span multi-type steel bridge includes replacing the fixed bearings for piers one, two and three; reconstructing pier four; placing scout protection at piers two and three; making repairs to deteriorated concrete on piers and abutments; completing deck repairs, adding new latex modified concrete overlay on the existing deck and new integral approach slabs at each end of the bridge; replacing all 17 deck joints; adding a new protective fence along both barriers; and replacing drainage scuppers and installing new downspout systems.The entire superstructure is also scheduled to be cleaned and repainted, plus workers will stiffen gusset plates in the truss spans, add floor beam cover plates and girder stiffeners to increase capacity.J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen is the contractor for the project.The completion date is set for May 19, 2015.