A contract between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Weissport gives PennDOT workers permission to work 24 hours a day starting June 6 to rehabilitate the McCall Bridge.

The bridge takes traffic over Weissport, the Lehigh Canal, railroad and Lehigh River.Gene Kershner, president, said that according to the contract with PennDOT, Weissport needed to grant permission for PennDOT to work 24 hours on the project."We needed to grant the permission so they could work the 24 hours a day," said Kershner."I don't have any problem with them working, but I wish they could silence their beeps," said Sue Pywar, vice president. "Those are what keep you awake."Last week temporary traffic lights went up at the intersection of Bankway and Bridge streets at the Lehighton end of the Weissport/Lehighton bridge to help traffic flow.The work on the traffic lights was done by C.M. High Inc., traffic signal contractor, of Myerstown.According to Bob Schaeffer, superintendent with J.D. Eckman, the contractor hired by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the traffic lights will begin flashing seven days before the detour through Weissport begins."The detour is anticipated to begin June 6 and should last approximately three months," Schaeffer said.Calvin Ulshafer, with PennDOT, said the light will become operational at the stroke of midnight on June 6.Detour plannedFor motorists, there will be detours during the construction.Weissport traffic on Bridge Street will be one way for the entire two lanes and Main Road will be one way from Weissport to Bank Street. Motorists will not be allowed to make a left turn at Canal Street onto Main Road.Northbound traffic will be maintained on the bridge while the southbound traffic will be detoured onto Canal Street, through Weissport onto Bridge Street and then to Bankway Street.Rehabilitationof the bridgeRehabilitation of the bridge will continue throughout the spring and summer.The $11.8 million project involves rehabilitation includes deck repairs, new latex modified concrete overlay on the existing deck, new integral approach slabs at each end of the bridge, replacement of all 17 deck joints, placing new protective fencing along both barriers, replacing existing drainage scuppers and new downspout systems.The superstructure repairs include cleaning and repainting the entire superstructure, stiffening gusset plates in the truss spans, adding floor beam cover plates and adding girder stiffeners to increase capacity.Substructure repairs include replacing/rehabilitating bearings, repairing deteriorated concrete on piers and abutments, and reconstructing pier 4, and placing additional protection at piers 2 and 3.The McCall Bridge, built in 1938, was last rehabilitated in 1981.The detour is scheduled to end on Sept. 5, 2014.J.D. Eckman Inc. of Atglen is the contractor project.