Drivers in Carbon County will have to watch for super loads until July. Crews are delivering concrete beams to build a bridge and the deliveries will stop traffic on the turnpike.
It's something drivers should get used to, at least until July. Slow and sometimes stopped traffic near the Mahoning Valley interchange on the northeastern extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It's part of a $101 million project to replace a bridge over Pohopoco Creek.
According to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, there are several reasons they want to replace the old bridge with the new ones, the old bridge deterioration and age of the old bridge.
"I was a young kid when they built this bridge. We lived here in Parryville, back in the '50s it was," said Harry Ahner of Slatington. He and his son, Darren, track the progress of the construction.
"It takes a lot of coordination and a lot of work. I think the younger generation should see it. It encourages work," said Darren Ahner.
Until July crews will be using two huge cranes to lift 200 ton concrete beams that will sit 200 feet above ground.
"You got to be a little more careful and a little more alert, but you have a lot of aides. It's got a computer in it. It's an operator aide. It's there to help you, to warn you when you're getting close to capacity or something like that," explained crane operator Joe Perdick.
It's delicate work too. Crews coordinating the operation keep in contact with the crane operators via radio.
Besides this, another turnpike bridge will be replaced over the Lehigh River. Both projects are expected to be complete in 2012.
It's something drivers should get used to, at least until July. Slow and sometimes stopped traffic near the Mahoning Valley interchange on the northeastern extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It's part of a $101 million project to replace a bridge over Pohopoco Creek.
According to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, there are several reasons they want to replace the old bridge with the new ones, the old bridge deterioration and age of the old bridge.
"I was a young kid when they built this bridge. We lived here in Parryville, back in the '50s it was," said Harry Ahner of Slatington. He and his son, Darren, track the progress of the construction.
"It takes a lot of coordination and a lot of work. I think the younger generation should see it. It encourages work," said Darren Ahner.
Until July crews will be using two huge cranes to lift 200 ton concrete beams that will sit 200 feet above ground.
"You got to be a little more careful and a little more alert, but you have a lot of aides. It's got a computer in it. It's an operator aide. It's there to help you, to warn you when you're getting close to capacity or something like that," explained crane operator Joe Perdick.
It's delicate work too. Crews coordinating the operation keep in contact with the crane operators via radio.
Besides this, another turnpike bridge will be replaced over the Lehigh River. Both projects are expected to be complete in 2012.
