Emrick Offers Road Construction Project Update

In response to a number of inquiries concerning the status of various projects, state Rep. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton, is offering an update on road construction work being performed throughout the 137th Legislative District.

“PennDOT has a number of projects going on simultaneously in our area,” Emrick said. “I want to let drivers know the status of roadwork, and approximately how long they will have to deal with the detours that are in place or are yet to come.”

Two of the projects are in progress as follows:

• Replacement of the Five Points Richmond Road Bridge over Oughoughton Creek in Washington Township. The detour uses Routes 512 and 611. Work should be completed this coming October.

• Replacement of the Route 512 bridge in Bangor. Traffic is detoured at High and Erdman streets, and re-routed onto Main Street, Ridge Road, Johnsonville Road and then back onto Route 512. A truck detour is also in place along Routes 191 and 611. Work should be completed by this coming August.

The following projects have yet to begin:

• Replacement of the Route 611 bridge over a tributary to Oughoughton Creek in Lower Mount Bethel Township begins on Monday, May 13. Route 611 will be closed throughout the project, and traffic will be detoured on to Mount Pleasant Road, Martins Creek Belvidere Highway and Richmond Road. The project should take one year to complete.

• Route 191/Ackermanville Bridge in Washington Township – The project should begin within the next 30 days. The existing bridge over Waltz Creek will be replaced with improvements to the intersection. The project is currently in the bidding phase.

• Replacement of the Messinger Street Bridge over Martins Creek, also known as the Bangor Viaduct, is scheduled for next year.

“My district staff and I are well aware of the headaches these projects are causing and appreciate everyone’s patience in dealing with the inconvenience,” added Emrick. “As difficult as it might be to do, the important thing to keep in mind is the eventual improvements to these roads and bridges that will be accomplished.

“My office recently worked with PennDOT after hearing about the condition of Ridge Road, which was serving as a detour during replacement of the Route 512/Main Street bridge over Brushy Meadow Creek. I encourage constituents to call my offices with concerns about traffic problems in our area.”