After the July 20 beam delivery for the Coplay-Northampton Bridge tied up traffic and fascinated onlookers, all kinds of questions are coming to the fore. Here are a few answers.

Is the project on schedule? The work is currently ahead of schedule, but it is far too early in the project to make a prediction.

There are thousands of open tasks lining the walls of the manager’s Gantt chart. The next major task is to get more beams over to the Coplay side of the bridge.

That delivery was delayed for at least a week primarily because of the wet weather. The specialized carriers were concerned the beams could get caught in muck.

Keep a lookout for the beams to arrive during the week of Aug. 20.

Placing the beams is a straightforward process. Lift them into place, set them with laser-precision, bolt them down and provide supporting ties. While not easy, it is a standard, well-rehearsed process. The beams currently in place took about a week to set, but they are not yet fully installed.

Once the long beams are in place, the roadway can be poured. The roadway is supported with steel rebar and then covered with concrete.

The tricky part is the reason why there are no predictions on completion dates. The roadway over the river is standard, but the approach ramps from Northampton and Coplay boroughs are all custom. The beams and the roadway are also custom. If workers are off on measurements, they will have to redo the road.

Delays on the nearby Hokendauqua-North Catasauqua Bridge were caused by measurement and fabrication problems. Those issues added two years to the construction process. That span was also curved, making the process more difficult.

The finishing touches - pedestrian walkways, safety rails, paint, etc. - take a long time to complete. Part of the finishing delay is the need for inspections.

Concrete needs to be inspected to ensure it meets compression standards. Metal connections are inspected. Measurements are verified, and any changes made to the original plans are incorporated into “as built” drawings that are kept on file.