Community Corner

Bridge Damage Forces Freemansburg Ave. Closure

PennDOT orders immediate closure of bridge over Nancy Run because of a void under the bridge's western abutment. Time frame for repair is uncertain.

A portion of Freemansburg Avenue from Pembroke Road to Willow Park Road will be closed indefinitely until a bridge that spans the Nancy Run can be repaired, a PennDOT spokesman said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was scheduled to close the road to vehicular traffic at 7 p.m. Friday, according to a news release. It is not known how long the road will stay closed, said Ron Young, a department spokesman.

Motorists are strongly encouraged to avoid the area and seek alternative routes.

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An inspection of the Nancy Run bridge this week discovered scouring by stream water has undermined a portion of the bridge's western abutment, which means some of the ground supporting the abutment has been washed out, leaving a void, according to the news release.

An abutment is part of a bridge that supports the superstructure—beams and deck. Abutments are located at both ends of a bridge.

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"Our first priority is the safety of the motoring public, therefore the Freemansburg Avenue Bridge will remain closed until further notice," District Executive Michael W. Rebert said. "We are in the process of hiring a contractor under an emergency contract to make repairs as quickly as possible."

PennDOT bridge engineers are developing plans to excavate and underpin the abutment in an attempt shore it up and prevent future water scouring from the Nancy Run, the news release said.

Freemansburg Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare that connects Pembroke Road in the city of Bethlehem to Freemansburg borough, Bethlehem Township, Palmer Township and Wilson borough.

The section of Freemansburg Avenue that will close carries more than 10,700 vehicles daily, according to the PennDOT news release.

The Nancy Run bridge is a concrete arch bridge that was built in 1938. It is 33 feet wide and 23 feet long.


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