Pottsville Pike Hamburg Bridge

The Pottsville Pike Hamburg Bridge carries PA Route 61 over the Schuylkill River, a railroad and a local road in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

In May 1952, the State Highway and Bridge Authority announced plans to construct northern and western bypasses of Hamburg along US Routes 22 and 122. ¹ Projected to cost $10 million and take five years to complete, it included:

• The construction of the five-mile, four-lane US Route 122 bypass between Five Locks and Port Clinton, seven bridges, and a cloverleaf interchange with US Route 22.
• The construction of the four-lane US Route 22 bypass including a large viaduct over the Schuylkill River and the Kernsville Desilting Basin.

In August, C.W. Good of Lancaster was awarded a $3.4 million construction contract for four miles of the US Route 122 bypass, which included the building of a nine-span concrete arch bridge 880 feet long over the Schuylkill River, Reading Railroad, and US Route 22. ²

The new US Route 122 bypass of Hamburg, including the crossing over the Schuylkill, was finished at the cost of $5.5 million and opened to traffic on September 16, 1955. ³

Information

• State: Pennsylvania
• Route: PA Route 61
• Type: Open Spandrel Arch
• Status: Active - Automobile
• Total Length: 880 feet
• Main Span Length: 157 feet
• Deck Width: 60 feet

Sources

1. “$10,000,000 Road Project Revealed.” Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 May 1952, p. 52.
2. “To Start Work Soon on Hamburg Bridges.” Pottsville Republican, 1 Aug. 1952, p. 2.
3. “Bypass Open On Route 122 At Hamburg.” Morning Call [Allentown], 19 Sept. 1955, p. 5.