The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced work that will take place across District 5’s six-county region during the 2021 construction season.

Overall highlights in the 2021 construction season for District 5, which includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties:

• Approximately 120 miles of paving.

• Approximately 24 bridges repaired or replaced.

• Approximately 285 miles of roadway seal coated.

“Our highway and bridge improvement program is designed to provide safe and convenient travel across the region,” Acting District 5 Executive Chris Kufro said. “Improved travel is vital to quality of life for area residents and for the efficient movement of goods, and this year we will see over $130 million invested in new road and bridge construction projects, as well as more than $400 million invested in continuing projects like our Interstate 78 improvements in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties.”

Extensive projects

Notable projects that started or will continue this year include:

• Reconstruction of Interstate 78 between Exit 35 (Route 143/Lenhartsville) and Lehigh County line in Greenwich Township, Berks County, $168.3 million.

• Reconstruction and widening of Interstate 78 in Tilden Township and Hamburg Borough, Berks County, $125.6 million.

• Reconstruction and widening of Route 443 in Lehighton Borough and Mahoning Township, Carbon County, $21.2 million.

• Rehabilitation of Route 248 in East Penn Township, Franklin Township, Lower Towamensing Township, Bowmanstown Borough, Palmerton Borough and Parryville Borough, Carbon County, $14.2 million.

• Rehabilitation of the Tilghman Street Bridge over Lehigh River, Norfolk Southern Railroad and local streets in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County, $21.9 million.

• Repair and resurface Route 22 in South Whitehall Township and Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, $17.3 million.

• Roadway improvements to include an additional southbound lane and intersection improvements on Route 987/Airport Road between City Line Road and Route 22 in Allen and Hanover townships, Lehigh County, $5.8 million.

• Replacement of the Ridgeway Street Bridge over the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad in East Stroudsburg Borough, Monroe County, $5.3 million.

• Replacement of Mill Pond Road Bridge over Pohopoco Creek in Polk Township, Monroe County, $1.4 million.

• Milling and paving of Route 22 (including the ramps at the interchange with Route 33) in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, $6.4 million.

• Milling and paving of Interstate 81 in Delano Township, East Union Township, Kline Township, Mahanoy Township, and Ryan Township, Schuylkill County, $15.5 million.

• Route 61 milling and paving in North Manheim Township, West Brunswick Township, and Orwigsburg Borough, Schuylkill County, $6.2 million.

• Milling and paving, traffic signal upgrades and drainage repairs on Route 924 in Mahanoy Township, West Mahanoy Township, Frackville Borough, Gilberton Borough, and Shenandoah Borough, Schuylkill County, $5.8 million.

Upcoming projects

Notable projects that are expected to begin this year include:

• Project to improve I-78 including patching, milling, paving and bridge preservation in Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties, $23.3 million.

• Milling and paving of Route 145 in Whitehall Township and North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, $4 million-$5 million (estimated).

• Milling and paving of Route 22 in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, $3.8 million.

• Milling and paving of Old Route 22 in Weisenberg Township, Lehigh County, $2 million-$2.1 million.

• Milling and paving of Interstate 80 in Jackson Township and Pocono Township, Monroe County, $21 million.

• Milling and paving of Route 209 in Hamilton Township and Stroud Township, Monroe County, $3.5 million-$4 million.

• Milling and paving of Route 22 in Bethlehem Township, Palmer Township and Wilson Borough and Route 33 in Bethlehem Township and Palmer Township, Northampton County, $13.6 million.

• Milling and paving of Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township, Upper Nazareth Township, Bath Borough and Nazareth Borough, Northampton County, $3.5 million-$4 million (estimated).

• Milling and paving on Route 309 in Tamaqua Borough, Schuylkill County, $650,000-$700,000 (estimated).