The Northeastern Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed next weekend for bridge replacement.

The turnpike will be closed for 18 miles, between exit 74 at Mahoning Valley and exit 56 at Lehigh Valley at 9 p.m. Friday through Monday at 4 a.m.

The closure is to allow crews to demolish the exiting bridges that span Crackersport Road in South Whitehall Township and to slide new bridges into place within a 48-hour window.

The project was delayed last month when a final inspection found one of the support structures was not properly aligned.

Crews in Beaver County used the same technique in mid-October and were very successful according to Turnpike CEO Mark Compton.

“The Accelerated Bridge Construction process is a safe, cost-effective way to replace bridges within a short time frame while improving safety for workers and motorists in construction zones, Compton said.

Compton noted that the Beaver County replacement completed two hours ahead of schedule.

Two detours are being proposed. The local detour will use Routes 22, 33 and 209. The through-route will also have travelers being directed to Interstate 80. The local detour is 60 miles long, while the through-detour is 67 miles.

Regardless of the detour taken, the construction will add a minimum of one hour to a trip, providing there are no unforeseen traffic issues.

The state police will be working with local law enforcement and turnpike officials to keep the routes as free of accidents as possible during the closure.

Compton is encouraging motorist to avoid travel in the area if possible.

“Motorists will face a lengthy detour that will add more than an hour to their travel times,” said Compton. “As a result, we strongly advise customers to avoid this area or plan for extra travel time during the detour weekend.”

One of the concerns of Kidder Township Police Chief Matthew Kuzma of the September closure was the added traffic from the Penn State home game, which usually means higher traffic volume at the intersection of Routes 80 and 476. As it turns out, Oct. 14 is an off weekend for the Nittany Lions, which will eliminate at least one concern for the township.

The local detour also passes Pleasant Valley High School on a football Friday, however the school has an away game that evening.