Mostly sunny and seasonably mild with an afternoon breeze. .

If you have plans to drive the Pennsylvania Turnpike this weekend, be prepared. The turnpike is set to close between the Lehigh Valley and Mahoning Valley interchanges. The huge road closure is scheduled to last through the weekend.

"It's just not a good time to be traveling," Wally Wimer, Asst. Bridge Engineer Mgr. of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, said.

Starting 9 p.m. Friday until around 4 a.m. Monday, the road will be closed from Exit 56, the Lehigh Valley Interchange, all the way up to Exit 74, the Mahoning Valley Interchange.

For those who will travel no matter what, there are detours, adding up to about an hour of delays.

"It'll be approximately 70 miles to travel the normal 40-mile distance from exit 56 to exit 95," Wimer said.

For drivers, an entire weekend may seem like a long time for such a large portion of the turnpike to be blocked off. But Wimer says it's really not long at all when you consider the endgame: an entire bridge is being demolished and replaced.

"What we are doing is using the Accelerated Bridge Construction technique here," he said.

The ABC Project is a new method of replacing bridges, and basically takes up to two years of road work, detours and delays, and gets it all done in just about 55 hours.

"We hope to have the bridge demolished by Saturday morning. I think by the end of the day Saturday, we'll start backfilling the new bridge," Wimer said. "And as early as Sunday morning, we'll start doing our final paving."

Wimer says, like much of the country, the state's infrastructure is aging.

So, bridges like the Huckleberry Road one being replaced are not necessarily dangerous, but after this weekend, they should no longer need regular repair.

The 90-foot-long Huckleberry Road Bridge was first opened to traffic back in 1957. According to the Turnpike Commission, it carries roughly 30,000 vehicles per day.

Crews will replace it with a steel superstructure that's already been built. It's been under construction near the existing bridge since this past March.

"It basically has roller skates under the bridge that with hydraulic jacks are slid along basically a rail," Wimer said. "And then once it's in position and we can jack it up, remove the roller skates, and set it on its permanent bearing."

The bridge is costing the Turnpike about $7 million. It could also possibly cost you extra hours out of your weekend.

Here are the details on all the detours, plus some resources to stay posted on conditions:

SOUTHBOUND DETOUR - LOCAL TRAFFIC:

Exit at Mahoning Valley Exit #74 and take U.S. Route 209 North to State Route 33 South (21.2 miles). Follow Route 33 South to U.S. Route 22 West (18.4 miles). Follow U.S. 22 West and reenter I-476 South at Lehigh Valley Interchange #56 (15.8 miles).

SOUTHBOUND DETOUR - THROUGH TRAFFIC:

Exit at Pocono Exit #95 and take Interstate 80 East to State Route 33 South (25.5 miles). Follow State Route 33 South to U.S. Route 22 West (23.6 miles). Follow U.S. Route 22 West and reenter I-476 South at Lehigh Valley Interchange Exit #56 (15.8 miles).

Exit at Lehigh Valley Exit #56 and take U.S. Route 22 East to State Route 33 North (16.5 miles). Follow State Route 33 North to Interstate 80 West (24.5 miles). Follow Interstate 80 West and reenter I-476 at Pocono Interchange Exit #95 (25.1 miles).

Project details and detour maps are available at the Turnpike website.

Work schedules are subject to change based on weather conditions. To report an accident or other emergency on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 via mobile phone. To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions, use one of these resources:

511PA Smartphone App: real-time, hands-free PA traffic advisories

Digital Message Signs: more than 100 boards along the Turnpike

511/511pa.com: live, interactive map

511: dial from any PA roadway for local travel information

Pennsylvania Turnpike Customer Assistance Center: 877-736-6727, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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