With the sound of a whistle, Andy Muller Jr., Reading & Northern’s owner and CEO, heralded the crossing of the Lehigh River on a brand-new railroad bridge from the engineer’s seat in locomotive 5033.

The product of over 20 years of work, the Nesquehoning Bridge Phase 2 connects the R & N’s Reading and Lehigh Divisions, allowing for a progressive, expedited move between Reading and the Scranton area.

The bridge was built with a combination of public funding and a 30% match by the railroad.

“This bridge represents a dream come true for me and the railroad,” Muller said.

“I began working on this project as soon as we purchased the Lehigh Line from Conrail in 1996. We are grateful for the support of Gov. (Tom) Wolf and the PennDOT team, as well as our local legislators like Sens. Dave Argall and John Yudichak.

“This bridge will improve the efficiency of rail transportation in our area of the state, creating a stronger climate for sustaining and creating jobs by helping existing businesses grow and attracting new enterprises. This bridge was built on time and on budget and is testament to the great work of our Reading Northern employees and our primary contractor, J.D. Eckman.”

Reading & Northern Railroad is a privately held railroad company serving over 70 customers in nine eastern Pennsylvania counties, including Carbon and Schuylkill.

It has expanded its operations over the last 30-plus years and now handles over 34,000 carloads of freight and 140,000 excursion train riders over 400 miles of track.