Traffic Switching on Cedar Crest Boulevard Bridge

Update: The traffic switch originally scheduled for Friday, June 15, will occur Monday, June 18, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Traffic will switch at the Cedar Crest Boulevard Bridge over Cedar Creek in South Whitehall and Allentown, as work continues to rehab the 55-year-old structure.

Since March 8, when the work began to fix the single span, concrete box beam bridge, traffic passed on its western side. Now traffic will be switched to the newly rehabilitated eastern side, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said.

Crews have been working to replace the bridge superstructure (deck and beam). During construction, Cedar Crest Boulevard has been open with one 10-foot travel lane in each direction.

PennDOT says motorists should be alert for brief traffic stoppages between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The traffic switch is necessary to allow the rehabilitation work to continue on the western side of the bridge. 

Also as part of the project:

* Mortorists can access Parkway Boulevard from Cedar Crest Boulevard, but access from Cedar Crest Boulevard north to Broadway is restricted. A posted detour route utilizes Route 222/Hamilton Boulevard Bypass and Haines Mill Road. 

Clearwater Construction, Inc. of Mercer, is the general contractor. The cost of the project is $865,814. Work is expected to be completed in September.

The Cedar Crest Boulevard Bridge was built in 1957. The superstructure is 63 feet long, 48 feet wide and is posted with a 34-ton weight restriction. 

The new superstructure will be 61 feet, six inches long and 48 feet, six inches wide, PennDOT said. When the work is completed, the bridge will have no weight restriction. 

About 20,915 vehicles travel the section of Cedar Crest Boulevard daily.