PennDOT to inspect, maintain Lewisburg River Bridge Monday, traffic slowed

Maggie Baker, a PennDOT District 3 media contact, said crews will reduce the Lewisburg River Bridge on Route 45 to a single lane with flagging operations from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday, April 13, 2026, as inspection teams perform visual checks while maintenance crews carry out annual cleaning, flushing and sweeping.

Motorists should expect the heaviest slowdowns on the Lewisburg approaches, especially the westbound approach near Water Street and the connection toward Route 405, where past preservation work produced temporary detours and queued traffic. PennDOT’s advisory names single-lane, flagging operations as the control method for the inspection window and warns drivers to plan for short delays and to slow through the work zone.

Drivers planning school runs, morning commutes or deliveries that cross the bridge should consider alternate crossings used during prior preservation projects, including Route 405 and the US 15 Milton-area river crossings that were routed for traffic during June 2024 weekend detours. Bucknell University’s campus-shuttle operations and Student Transportation are among campus services likely to monitor any route changes that morning; businesses relying on on-time deliveries were advised to build a small buffer into schedules on April 13.

The inspection is part of routine bridge safety and preservation work governed by federal and state standards: PennDOT conducts roughly 18,000 bridge inspections each year and is responsible for about 25,000 state-owned bridges, with inspection intervals guided by the National Bridge Inspection Standards. Routine checks look for drainage blockages, spalling concrete, minor corrosion and scour at substructures where the Lewisburg span crosses the West Branch Susquehanna River, issues that, if caught early, can prevent longer closures or major rehabilitation.

Practical guidance from PennDOT’s District 3 advisory emphasizes driver safety and real-time updates: reduce speed, follow flagger directions, and use 511PA for live roadway conditions, traffic cameras and alerts or dial 5-1-1. Reporters or residents seeking technical clarification may contact District 3 media contacts Maggie Baker or Kim Smith at ra-pdd03crc@pa.gov.

This April 13 operation follows a pattern of short-duration preservation on the Lewisburg River Bridge, including light-post installation on Dec. 21, 2023, deck patching and waterproofing with weekend detours in mid-June 2024, and pavement marking in July 2024, work that previously involved contractor RAM Services of Michigan. PennDOT District 3 will post any follow-up advisories and detour notices on the District 3 newsroom and through 511PA if inspectors identify deficiencies requiring additional work.