PennDOT will accept public comment on the I-80 Lehigh River bridge project during a public meeting tonight at Mountain Laurel Resort in Kidder Township.

The bridge is one of nine across the state where PennDOT wants to add tolls to fund its replacement.

The hearing is required as part of an Environmental Assessment which PennDOT is completing in order to receive federal funding for the project.

The report includes the impact on aquatic resources, land, wildlife, cultural resources and air quality. It briefly discusses the area which has been of most interest to residents - the impact that traffic avoiding the toll will have on White Haven and East Side.

The plan summarizes PennDOT’s plans for improving the likely route, which runs through White Haven and East Side on Routes 534 and 940.

According to “Diversion Route Traffic Evaluation” report completed in March, PennDOT would restrict trucks and make several roadway improvements

The full report on the assessment is available online, at the borough offices in White Haven and East Side, as well as regional offices of PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.

The public hearing will take place from 3:30-7 p.m. at Mountain Laurel Resort, 81 Treetops Circle, White Haven. Public comment will begin at 4:30 p.m. Speakers can choose to give their testimony before the public hearing or have it recorded in a separate hearing room.