Coplay and Northampton boroughs have received letters saying the 1930s Coplay-Northampton Bridge will be replaced by a new span which will run across the Lehigh River.

The work tentatively is set to begin in the fall of 2014 when construction of a new Hokendauqua-North Catasauqua Bridge is expected to be complete. Both bridge projects will take two years include the removal of the existing bridges.

To combat ongoing deterioration, Lehigh County recently constructed concrete sidewalks on the north side. The county earlier imposed a weight limit on the bridge for trucks to help manage with continuing deterioration.

The barricades include signs with bold orange lettering reading "danger," followed by black lettering that says "sidewalk closed." They have been placed on the sidewalk off Main and Ninth streets in Northampton and Front and Chestnut streets in Coplay. The large barricades were placed after continuous inspections of the bridge, its supports and sidewalks.

The public has access to the sidewalk on the south side of the bridge. Although not used as heavily by the public as in the past, pedestrians continue to use the bridge. When the new bridge is built, sidewalks will be found on only one side of the roadway, not both sides.

Truck drivers have been put on notice about revised weight limits on the bridge. The sign notes a 17-ton weight limit for trucks, which bars 18-wheelers and large triaxle trucks with heavy loads of material.

When the concrete bridge was opened in the 1930s to traffic, it replaced a covered bridge that connected both boroughs.

The bridge is currently owned and funded by Lehigh and Northampton counties, with Northampton taking charge of bridges further south.