The Route 873 Lehigh Gap Bridge is scheduled for a full weekend closure and detour of both lanes from the evening of Sept. 19 to the morning of Sept. 22.

It’s to install the deck overlay before opening it fully, according to PennDOT spokesman Ronald Young. Then the contractor intends to open both lanes on Sept. 22, but any unforeseen issues and/or inclement weather may delay the full opening of both lanes, he said.

“The contractor is still completing parapet replacement which needs to be completed before the opening of both lanes, as well as paving and line striping,” Young said. “Steel repairs, substructure repairs, pedestrian bridge repairs, etc. will continue beyond the opening of both lanes.”

Road restrictions began in March for the project to rehabilitate the Route 873 Lehigh Gap Bridge over the Lehigh River, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Trail, Paint Mill Road and Norfolk Southern Railroad in Washington Township, Lehigh County, and Lehigh Township, Northampton County.

The southbound lane on the Route 873 Bridge has been closed and detoured. Route 873 traffic is detoured on Route 248, Route 145 and Main Street.

Route 873 south will be closed for most of the project. There will also be times when both Route 873 north and south are closed.

Work includes bridge cleaning, structural steel repairs, bearing repairs, painting, expansion joint replacement, concrete deck repairs and placement of a deck overlay.

The Route 873 Lehigh Gap Bridge was built in 1930 and rehabilitated in 1984. The seven-span bridge is 1,024 feet long and 26 feet wide. Spans one and seven are riveted steel through girders, and spans two through six are steel trusses.

Route 873 in this area has an average daily traffic volume of 9,562 vehicles.

Kriger Construction Inc. of Scranton is the general contractor on the $6,923,127 project, which is expected to be complete in February 2026.