​The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is hosting an on-demand virtual public meeting for the I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project from noon on Nov. 17 to Dec. 17, 2021. The meeting can be accessed online by visiting www.penndot.gov/i80LehighRiverBridge. An in-person public open house will also take place on Dec. 8, 2021, in Lake Harmony.

The I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project is a candidate for bridge tolling through the PennDOT Pathways Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership Initiative. The Pathways program seeks to identify potential alternative funding solutions for transportation in the state. Under the initiative, tolls collected would be used for the bridges’ construction, maintenance, and operation.

The virtual public meeting includes new information about PennDOT’s planned tolling approach for the two candidate bridges on the eastern end of I-80: Lehigh River and Nescopeck. Initially, each bridge was proposed for tolling in both directions, but based on public feedback and the proximity of the bridges, PennDOT will pursue one-way tolling at each of the bridges. This means that traffic would be tolled eastbound at Lehigh and westbound at Nescopeck. This reduces the number of tolls drivers would have to pay on I-80, as well as overall diversions and the need for additional tolling infrastructure.

The on-demand virtual public meeting also contains information about the project’s design plans, environmental studies, potential tolling implementation, and project schedule. PennDOT encourages everyone to review the materials and provide input on the information presented in the virtual meeting.

The I-80 Over Lehigh River bridges, which cross over the Lehigh River, Lehigh Gorge State Park, Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad and SR 1005 (River Road) in Carbon and Luzerne Counties, are aging and reaching the end of their serviceable lifespan. The proposed project will address the deterioration of the aging bridge structures and provide safe connectivity for interstate travelers, commuters, commercial users, emergency services, tourists, and local residents.

The project team will be accepting comments throughout the duration of the comment period, which ends at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2021. You can submit an online comment directly from the on-demand virtual public meeting site, or you can use the below outlets to share your feedback. All comments submitted during the comment period will receive equal consideration regardless of the method of submission.

• Email: i80LehighRiverBridge@pa.gov • Hotline: (570) 793-2045 • Mail: PennDOT District 5, Attn: I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project, 1002 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101

The public can also attend the in-person public open house for the project. At this open house, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the project and speak with members of the project team. The public can drop by any time during the open house at their convenience. The date, time and location for the public open house are below: 

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Split Rock Resort 428 Moseywood Rd, Lake Harmony, PA 18624

If you would like to request translation services for the I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project, please reach out via the project email at i80LehighRiverBridge@pa.gov or hotline number at (570) 793-2045. Si usted desea solicitar servicios de traducción para el Proyecto I-80 Sobre El Puente Del Río Lehigh, por favor contacte al correo electrónico del proyecto i80LehighRiverBridge@pa.gov o llame a la línea directa del proyecto (570) 793-2045.

For more information about the I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project, you can visit www.penndot.gov/i80LehighRiverBridge.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ron Young at 610-871-4555 or ronyoung@pa.gov; Sean A. Brown, 610-871-4556, sebrown@pa.gov.

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