Rock Excavation, Pier Construction Continue for New Turnpike Bridges

Crews have partially completed work to scale-back the rock outcropping at the southern end of the Lehigh River Bridge and continue construction of supports for the new Turnpike bridges over the Pohopoco Creek.

Thousands of tons of rock have been blasted from the southbound shoulder to provide room to tie-in the stretch of the Northeastern Extension carrying the new structures to the existing roadway. The new bridges – separate northbound and southbound structures over each of the waterways – are being built on new alignments immediately upstream of the existing bridges.
 
The rock that was removed from the outcropping is being used to build up the embankment on the opposite side of the Turnpike. The built-up embankment will be used to temporarily realign the northbound lanes during construction. Traffic is expected to be shifted onto the newly aligned pavement in late October in order to provide a work area for continuing construction in the shoulder area south of the Lehigh River.

Progress on Bridges
Abutments (the end walls that connect the structures to the main line roadway) have been poured and eight of the twelve bridge supports are under construction along the banks and in the streambed of the Pohopoco Creek. Crews will continue to drill foundation shafts – some as deep as 40-feet into the bedrock – and assemble formwork for the pier stems and caps. The massive concrete piers and the “T” shaped pier caps will hold the new  bridges’ pre-stressed concrete beams and reinforced concrete deck.

Construction also continues on the abutment overlooking the northern bank of the Lehigh River.

Pier construction and construction of additional abutments for those new northbound and southbound structures is expected to get underway this fall.  A total of 19 piers will be built on the banks and in the streambed – from temporary rock causeways that have been constructed in the Lehigh River – and Canal.

At the northern end of the Turnpike work zone, construction also is scheduled to begin on a retaining wall that will support the roadway where it shifts onto the new alignment approaching the new Pohopoco Creek Bridge.

Work is expected to continue through the winter as weather conditions permit.

All work is part of Stage 1 construction on the $101.56 million contract to replace the separate northbound and southbound bridges carrying the Northeastern Extension (I-476) over the Lehigh River and Pohopoco Creek.

A separate but adjacent project to reconstruct the ramp bridge over the Turnpike at the Mahoning Valley Interchange (Exit #74) also is currently underway. The southern half of the bridge, which is  being constructed a half-at-a-time, has been completed. Crews are now working on the northern half of the structure. Temporary traffic signals are in place to control the flow of a single lane of ramp traffic across the span.


General Traffic Impacts

• Periodic daytime and nighttime lane closures and brief daytime stoppages may occur on the Turnpike.
• Watch for slow moving construction vehicles entering and exiting the Turnpike.
• A long-term shoulder closure is in place on Route 248 westbound from Parryville to the existing overhead Turnpike bridge.
• Long-term lane closure is in effect on eastbound Route 248 at the Turnpike overpass.
• Long-term lane closure is planned on westbound Route 248 at the Turnpike overpass.

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