A bridge closed and detoured in Mahoning Township earlier this month will be worked on sooner than the 2032 date.

The Hemlock Drive Bridge over Stewart Creek is closed between Stewart Creek Road and Orioles Drive and detoured.

State Rep. Doyle Heffley. R-Carbon, posted an update about the bridge on his Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.

“After several conversations with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on the closure of Hemlock Drive Bridge over Stewart Creek, PennDOT has determined the bridge can be repaired,” Heffley posted. “Once the needed permits go through, construction will begin and the bridge will reopen in a few weeks.

“PennDOT believes these repairs will suffice until the bridge’s replacement project, which has been moved up to 2028.”

Heffley issued a release this morning in which he and state Sen. David Argall, R-Schuylkill/Carbon/Luzerne, announced that PennDOT will begin repairs later this spring on the bridge.

The Hemlock Drive Bridge over Stewart Creek in Lehighton, which was built in 1925, was closed earlier this month. Initially, the bridge was to be closed until the project would begin in 2032. The closure was causing a significant negative impact to residents who use the bridge for their daily commute.

“After working steadfastly with Sen. Argall, representatives from PennDOT and different agencies, PennDOT was able to determine the bridge can be repaired, and the repairs will suffice until the bridge replacement project in 2028, which was originally scheduled for 2032,” Heffley said. “For all parties involved, it was extremely important to create a plan that would limit the impact on the residents and businesses in the community.”

PennDOT will begin repairs after they receive permit approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Construction should take about two to three weeks, and the one-lane bridge will reopen again.

“Thanks to collaboration between PennDOT, Rep. Heffley, the Carbon County Commissioners, and local officials, the Hemlock Drive Bridge will soon reopen for local drivers in Lehighton,” Argall said. “I’m thankful we were able to work quickly to address this issue, which would have put undue strain on nearby roads and caused delays for local first responders.”

For more information on the Hemlock Drive Bridge, contact Heffley’s district offices at 610-377-6363 or 570-722-8700.

Heffley added that moving forward, he will continue to provide updates on the project.

It is a state road, and not a township road, so township supervisors earlier this month wanted to reach out to Heffley about the situation.

“After a recent inspection, it was determined that due to extensive scour and abutment undermining, the structure must be closed,” said Scott Cressman, acting county maintenance manager. “This bridge is now a project list with an estimated let in 2032.”

Heffley said that while 2032 was the original estimate, it could be sooner than that.

Supervisors said at this month’s meeting that the closure would impact travel time.

The detour will utilize Route 902, Route 443, Route 209, Packerton Dam Road, and Hemlock Drive.

The Hemlock Drive Bridge is a 17-feet-long, 20-feet-wide concrete slab bridge built in 1925. Hemlock Drive has an average daily traffic of 419 vehicles.