Tatamy Main Street Bridge Reopens Wednesday

PennDOT and Tatamy officials have confirmed the good news: The bridge on Main Street in Tatamy reopens Wednesday.

PennDOT spokesman Ron Young confirmed in an email to Patch Monday morning that the bridge should be open to motorists by noon Wednesday.

Tatamy officials are expected to have a bridge opening dedication at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Recently, Young offered an update that the bridge over Bushkill Creek connecting Tatamy with Uhler Road in Forks Township was moving along.

The contractor, Bi-State Construction of Easton, was pouring concrete on the bridge deck before installing parapets (the walls on either side of the bridge deck that protect traffic from exiting the sides of the bridge), paving the bridge roadway approaches, installing new guiderail and signs, painting lines and doing other miscellaneous work.

The project entails the replacement of a three span steel I-beam bridge with a three span concrete box-beam bridge.

It also included constructing new roadway approaches, drainage improvements, new guiderail, and other miscellaneous construction.

The Tatamy Bridge was built in 1941 and has an average daily traffic volume of 7,725 vehicles.

The project began in August 2012 and the contract completion date is July 30, but if all goes well the bridge might be open to traffic sooner. All schedules are weather and equipment dependent.

Due to significant deterioration, the Tatamy/Uhler Road Bridge over Bushkill Creek was closed in May 2011. Traffic was being detoured on Sullivan Trail, Main Street, PA 191 and Walnut Street.