The long-anticipated conclusion to the construction on the Race Street bridge over Catasauqua Creek is finally here. The two-lane road over the bridge reopened to traffic July 8.

Motorists will notice a slight bump in the road until a polyester polymer concrete overlay is applied. This layer will protect the bridge from the wear and tear often associated with Pennsylvania’s harsh winters and is expected to reduce long-term maintenance costs.

To apply the overlay, weather conditions need to be specific - temperatures must be consistently above 40 degrees and dry weather must be in the forecast. It also cannot be applied until the bridge concrete has cured for at least 30 days.

It was reported there will be flaggers to control alternating traffic patterns when the overlay is applied in early August. The schedule is subject to change depending on the weather.

The Race Street bridge is one of 558 bridges being replaced as part of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s rapid bridge replacement project.

The rapid bridge replacement project is a public-private partnership between PennDOT and Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners, under which Plenary Walsh will finance, design and maintain the bridges for 25 years.

The Catasauqua bridge is referred to as JV-176. JV references the joint-venture partnership between Walsh/Granite, which is leading construction for the entire project. Replacement work for this bridge was performed by Walsh Construction II.

To see the bridges included in the statewide initiative and to learn more about the rapid bridge replacement project, visit parapidbridges.com. Additional information on public-private partnership programs in Pennsylvania can be found at p3forpa.pa.gov, by calling the project hotline at 877-444-9990 or by emailing info@parapidbridges.com.