Motorists traveling Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County should watch for single-lane traffic as a $26-million bridge rehabilitation project in Delano and Kline townships continues, a state Department of Transportation spokesman said this week.
Southbound traffic will be shifted to the northbound side of the highway, with one lane in each direction, between exit 138 at McAdoo and exit 134 at Delano starting Friday, although the schedule is subject to change, said Sean A. Brown, PennDOT spokesman.
Motorists should expect delays during peak travel times, he said.
The project to replace or rehabilitate 15 structures on the four-mile stretch of highway got under way Sept. 24, 2012, when crews began constructing the crossovers and temporary traffic controls that will be used during later phases, Brown said. This work continued through the winter months, preparing for the actual bridge work, he said.
The single-lane restriction is expected to last through Oct. 31, he said, but the entire project isn't expected to be completed until March 2015. All schedules remain weather-dependent, he said.
Allan P. Meyers LP of Worcester, Montgomery County, is the general contractor on the project, which will preserve 10 structures and replace five, Brown said.
This section of I-81 has an average daily traffic volume of 12,337 vehicles northbound and 12,078 vehicles southbound, Brown said.