Motorists traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension should plan for a detour early Sunday morning when a section of Interstate 476 closes in both directions for bridge work.
The roadway will close from midnight until 6 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, between the Lehigh Valley interchange at Exit 56 and the Quakertown interchange at Exit 44 in Lehigh and Bucks counties. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission scheduled the overnight closure to minimize traffic impacts.
Crews will remove existing bridge girders as part of a total reconstruction project between Milepost A53 and A57. The work is part of the PA Turnpike’s Total Reconstruction initiative, a system-wide effort to expand the turnpike, improve capacity, and enhance major corridor access.
Northbound drivers will detour via Route 663 North for 3.3 miles, then Route 309 North for 9.3 miles, Interstate 78 West for 6.3 miles, Route 309 North for 1 mile, and Route 22 West for 1.1 miles before re-entering at the Lehigh Valley interchange.
Southbound drivers will take Route 22 East for 0.5 miles, Route 309 South for 2 miles, I-78 East for 6.2 miles, Route 309 South for 9.2 miles, and Route 663 South for 3.2 miles before re-entering at the Quakertown interchange.
Pennsylvania State Police and PA Turnpike personnel will be stationed at impacted areas to assist drivers. Changeable message signs will provide closure information. The work schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions.
Motorists can report emergencies on the PA Turnpike by dialing *11 from a mobile phone or get real-time traffic information through the 511PA smartphone app, 511pa.com, or by calling 511.