The $20 million Hokendauqua-North Catasauqua Bridge, tentatively set to open to traffic on Oct. 10, has incurred a minor setback. Now the barricades will be removed at the end of the month or within the first few days in November.

Rick Molchany, Lehigh County director of general services, told The Press while progress has been excellent in having the construction come to a close, the devastating June 30 storm caused hail damage to the concrete road surface.

The repairs, Molchany said, will be corrected with a special compound and will delay the bridge’s opening; however, this date is better than earlier projections, which pinpointed December as the likely opening month.

Completion of the new bridge, which replaced the decades-old deteriorating steel grate bridge, was to be ready for traffic by June 1. PennDOT then revised the date to Oct. 10.

Light poles and lights, as well as sidewalks and walls, have been erected on the bridge.

Large rocks put into the river as a causeway, diverting the river so construction of the piers could take place, are now being removed by tri-axle trucks. Molchany said the project had a small window for the removal of the boulders because of fish migration.

“We are very close (to completion. The project) looks excellent for the end of October,” Molchany said.