Transportation project in Lehigh County receives $22.5 million in federal funding
Rep. Jeanne McNeill May 9, 2023 | 12:08 PM
WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, May 9 – The state Department of Transportation will replace the Cementon Bridge, thanks to $22.5 million in federal funding, Rep. Jeanne McNeill announced.
The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently allocated $22,579,651 for the replacement of the bridge. The project will replace the existing bridge with a structure to allow more than 16,000 vehicles to safely travel across the Lehigh River.
“As the bridge is one of 47 bridges in Lehigh County designated as being in poor condition by the Federal Highway Administration, it is imperative that we improve safety conditions for drivers through projects such as the replacement of the Cementon Bridge,” said McNeill, D-Lehigh.
Construction began in Spring 2023 to replace the 575-foot-long bridge and build a 585-foot-long bridge in its place. The bridge carries Route 329 over the Lehigh River and Canal, connecting Whitehall Township and Northampton Borough.
McNeill joined U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and PennDOT’s Acting District 5 Executive Christopher Kufro at the news conference today to highlight the recent investment in the Cementon Bridge.
First enacted into law in November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act invested $40 billion in bridge repair, replacement and rehabilitation, which marks the single-largest dedicated bridge investment since the interstate highway system’s construction.