Bridge Damage Forces Freemansburg Ave. Closure

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

That section of the busy east-west thoroughfare is in the borough of Freemansburg.

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

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

An inspection of the Nancy Run bridge last week revealed that 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 a 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.

"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 Nancy Run, the news release said.

Freemansburg Avenue connects Pembroke Road in the city of Bethlehem with Freemansburg borough, Bethlehem Township, Palmer Township and Wilson borough.

The section of Freemansburg Avenue that is closed 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.