For those people commuting to the Lehigh Valley from the west on Interstate 78, it seems every time one project finishes, another gets started.

In 2025, PennDOT finally completed its widening project on the I-78 bridge over the Schuylkill River in Hamburg, along with interchange improvements at Route 61. The $134.6 million project was among the biggest in the state, the agency said in its annual news release that highlights projects for the year and looks ahead to 2026.

“It was a great year for road and bridge projects, including a major I-78 project in Berks County,” District 5 Executive Chris Kufro said. “PennDOT will continue to work with regional planning partners to prioritize projects to improve safety and mobility in east central Pennsylvania.”

Currently, PennDOT is replacing the I-78 bridge over Maiden Creek near Lehartsville, Berks County, with a wider version that includes improvements to the Route 143 interchange. The $120 million project is expected to be completed in 2028.

District 5, which covers the Lehigh Valley along with Berks, Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill counties, had 87 active projects in 2025, 39 of which were completed during the year. It included replacing 133 bridges and paving more than 100 miles of road. The contract value of the projects is $840 million.

2026 roadwork

Perhaps the biggest project underway in the Lehigh Valley is improving the dangerous interchange between Route 309 and Tilghman Street in South Whitehall Township. The $86.47 million project will convert the tight cloverleaf with no merge areas into a partial diamond interchange with a widened Route 309 and plenty of room for traffic to merge

The reconstruction will include replacing two bridges over Tilghman Street and Broadway along with rehabilitating the Route 309 culvert over Little Cedar Creek and making drainage improvements. Traffic lights will be installed at the end of the reconfigured ramps and synchronized with signals at Hausman and Parkway roads. It is expected to be finished in 2030.

Also on the list is the replacement of the Cementon Bridge that carries Route 329 over the Lehigh River between Whitehall Township and Northampton. The project is estimated to cost $21.7 million.

Other significant projects include:

Traffic signal improvements on Route 29 in Salisbury Township, $3.8 million.
Patching, milling, paving, safety barrier and drainage improvements along I-78 in Allentown, Salisbury and Upper Saucon townships, $37.8 million.
Improvements to Route 145 and its intersections through Allentown, $7.36 million.
Replacing Route 33 bridges over Bushkill Creek in Palmer Township and Stockertown, $23.2 million.
Route 248 realignment through Bath, $5.42 million.
Replacing the two bridges over Route 22 in Bethlehem Township: Hecktown Road ($4.7 million) and Farmersville Road ($4.34 million).
Route 611 Delaware Canal retaining wall replacement in Williams Township, $4.1 million.

What was completed

Improvements to I-78 in Upper Macungie and Weisenberg townships, including milling, paving, safety barrier and drainage, $13.4 million.
Traffic signal improvements on Route 145/MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, $6.6 million.
Milling and paving Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, and Allentown, $3 million.
Milling and patching of I-78 west in Bethlehem and Upper Saucon and Lower Saucon townships, $13.7 million.
Rehabilitation of the Route 873 bridge over the Lehigh River in Washington and Lehigh townships, $6.9 million.
Replacement of the Newburg Road bridges over Monocacy Creek and a tributary in Lower Nazareth and Upper Nazareth townships, $6.2 million.
Milling and paving of Route 191 in Nazareth and Stockertown, and Palmer and Upper Nazareth townships, $3.52 million.
Milling and paving of Route 611 in Williams Township, $2.3 million.
Replacement of the Lower South Main Street Bridge over Martins Creek in Washington Township, Northampton County, $1.9 million.
Milling and paving of Route 191 in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth townships, $1.6 million.

Elsewhere in the region

Other notable projects in District 5 that are ongoing include:

Constructing a roundabout at Route 222 and Long Lane in Maxatawny Township, Berks County, $9 million.
Replacing the Interstate 80 bridge over the Lehigh River between East Side, Carbon County, and White Haven, Luzerne County, $120 million.
Realigning the Prospect Street exit on I-80 in East Stroudsburg, $93.8 million.
Reconstruction of Route 61 between Frackville and St. Clair in Schuylkill County, $115 million.

Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.