Community Corner

Freemansburg Avenue Bridge Reopens

PennDOT has reopened the Freemansburg Avenue bridge after emergency repair work.

PennDOT says the Freemansburg Avenue Bridge over Nancy Run in Freemansburg Borough, Northampton County is now open.

Close to 11,000 vehicles a day cross the bridge.

The bridge was closed Friday (April 12) due to water damage.

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Emergency repairs included excavation work, placing concrete under the
abutment, and installing and removing sandbag dikes for temporary stream
diversion.

“The contractor did an outstanding job responding to this emergency request
to fix the Freemansburg Avenue Bridge,” District Executive Michael W. Rebert
said. “We appreciate the patience of the Freemansburg community during this
closure.”

While major repairs to the structure are complete, the contractor, J.D.
Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Pa., still has to perform rock armoring of the structure
abutment walls. Motorists are advised to be alert for slow-moving
construction vehicles entering and exiting Freemansburg Avenue in this area over the next two weeks while this work occurs.

An inspection of the bridge last week discovered scouring by stream water
undermined a portion of the bridge’s western abutment—which means some of
the ground supporting the abutment was washed out, leaving a void.

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

Freemansburg Avenue was closed between Main and Washington streets while
the major repairs were made to the Bridge.

The Freemansburg Avenue Bridge over Nancy Run is a single span, 23-foot long concrete arch bridge that was built in 1938. This section of
Freemansburg Avenue has an average daily traffic volume of 10,752 vehicles.


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