Hill to Hill Bridge Rehabilitation

PennDOT District 05 is soliciting bids for the widening and rehabilitation of the Hill to Hill Bridge (SR 378) over the Lehigh River, Norfolk Southern Railroad, and city streets in Bethlehem, with the bid let set for December 10, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The project is federally funded and subject to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) requirements, Buy America provisions, Executive Order 11246 compliance, and federal audit requirements.

Work spans bridge structural repairs, roadway reconstruction, traffic control, drainage, erosion and sediment control, lighting and signage modifications, utility relocation, and pavement markings. Item categories include concrete work, asphalt paving, structural steel repairs, guide rail, and landscaping. The project runs in Bethlehem from just south of Third Street to just north of 8th Avenue, within Lehigh and Northampton County. Environmental requirements include NPDES permits, post-construction stormwater management certification, and weekly site inspections. The contract requires coordination with Norfolk Southern Railroad, Pennsylvania State Police, FAA clearances, and local recreational boating interests, and it carries liquidated damages for road user delays. The bid package includes approximately 291 pages of specifications and special provisions.

The source allocates contingency funds of $700,000 for unforeseen fabricated structural steel repairs, $880,000 for unforeseen concrete repairs, $850,000 for unforeseen concrete repairs in the City of Bethlehem, and $1,050,000 for unforeseen bridge and roadway repairs. It also provides $1,000,000 for direct hire protective flagging services, $35,000 for hazardous debris cleanup, and $10,000 for lead-based paint management. Pricing mixes lump-sum items with unit-based items measured in linear feet, square yards, cubic yards, pounds, and hours.