Allentown, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to a virtual plans display for a project to replace retaining wall supporting Route 611 alongside the Delaware Canal in Williams Township, Northampton County.
The existing retaining wall is a post-and-plank type comprised of steel H-pile posts with precast concrete panels. It is 475 feet long and has a maximum exposed height of 14 feet. The wall exhibits settlement of the backfill, fractured and bulging concrete panels, sagging guide rail, and roadway cracking and requires complete replacement.
The proposed retaining wall will consist of a soldier pile and lagging wall to be constructed in front of the existing wall, following a similar alignment to the existing wall. The proposed wall will be a combination type wall, consisting of precast concrete panels with steel posts and cast-in-place concrete drilled shafts. The proposed retaining wall also extend the existing wall by approximately 200 feet on the south end and 50 feet on the north end. To address the steep, existing wall termini, the proposed wall will be longer, and the new termini graded accordingly.
PennDOT invites community members to provide public input for the project. To access the webpage, visit www.PennDOT.gov/District5 click on the Public Meetings link under the District Links heading, pick the Northampton County box, and then choose the Route 611 Canal Wall Replacement project tile. The digital version of the information will be available to view online until March 29, 2023.
The purpose of the plans display is to introduce the project and solicit public input, questions, or concerns regarding the project. It is also an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the project’s potential effect upon Cultural Resources pursuant to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s 36 CFR Part 800 regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation/interpretation services or have special needs or have special concerns that require individual attention, please contact PennDOT Project Manager Eric Berg, at c-eberg@pa.gov or 484-838-5329.
Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, PennDOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. If you feel that you have been denied the benefits of, or participation in a PennDOT program or activity, you may contact the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Equal Opportunity, DBE/Title VI Division at 717-787-5891 or 800-468-4201.
For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state’s transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Follow regional PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAAllentown, and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation.
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