The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists who travel the Northeastern Extension (I-476) between the Lehigh Valley (Exit 56) and Pocono (Exit 95) interchanges that construction work associated with the replacement of two turnpike bridges in Franklin Township will affect traffic after 6 p.m. today.

The contractor will begin nighttime construction activities requiring the left lane to be closed in both directions beginning at 6 p.m. northbound (milepost A74.0-A76.5) and 7 p.m. southbound (milepost A77.5-A76.5).The work to erect three concrete beams on the turnpike bridge spanning Pohopoco Drive will require periodic slow-moving traffic northbound for the protection of the motoring public.Starting south of the Lehigh Tunnel at milepost A70.0, state police and turnpike maintenance personnel will assist the contractor and conduct the first slow-moving pace (25 mph for up to 20 minutes) at 7 p.m. to move the beams from the staging area at the Slatington Maintenance facility north to the construction area at milepost A76. This will be followed by three more traffic paces every 20 minutes, or after traffic has cleared, until the patterns are lifted by 8:30 p.m.Message boards have been activated to alert turnpike travelers of the scheduled nighttime traffic restrictions and will be updated accordingly.A contract valued at $22.1 million was awarded to New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. of New Enterprise to replace two bridges: one carries the turnpike over Route 209 and the Pohopoco Creek, and the other carries the turnpike over Pohopoco Drive. The bridges are located a quarter-mile north of the Mahoning Valley Interchange and are currently being replaced in stages to maintain turnpike traffic.Motorists on the turnpike should continue to anticipate daytime and overnight single-lane traffic patterns and reduced work-zone speed limits for the duration of the project scheduled for completion in summer 2016.Travel advisories will be posted at

www.paturnpike.com and on Highway Advisory Radio (1640 AM). In case of an emergency, motorists can dial *11 to receive aid. Motorists should be prepared to give their milepost location and direction of travel and move their vehicles out of travel lanes if possible.