At this week's intersection of South Walnut and Main streets in Slatington, demolition crews started tearing down a historic Victorian home. A press release announced that the Walnut Street Bridge, which spans Trout Creek and Factory Street in the Borough of Slatington, Lehigh County, is closed to traffic since Monday, June 10th, 2024, until the bridge replacement project is finished.
Due to the bridge closure, drivers will not be able to utilize the left turn into Walnut Street from Main Street either. The easterly sidewalk will also be blocked for pedestrian safety, thus only the westerly sidewalk may be used. Although the Lehigh County owns the bridge, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will be in charge of the project to rebuild it and realign the roads.
The decision to shut the bridge was made due to the structural breakdown of many bridge components, as well as the time and money needed to rebuild the current bridge.
The work on the bridge project has now started. The first home is removed and now the second house will be removed next as well. Funding is now secured and the project will take 2 years to complete. The Lehigh County engineer has Pennsylvania Department of Transportation inpect the bridge and structural failures. Work is expected to be done July 11, 2028. Estimated cost is 9.5 Million and the project was awarded to Richard E, Pierson Construction Co. Inc of Pilesgrove, New Jersey.
