The SR 0987 (Airport Road) Section FDX Roadway Improvement project is located in Lehigh County, PA. The purpose of the project was to add traffic capacity by widening to add a third through lane on SR 0987 (Airport Road) southbound, and to improve advance signing for the SR 0022 interchange. The limits extend from a location about 0.25 miles north of City Line Road to a location north of the SR 0022 interchange, including a portion of Airport Road exit SR 8018 (Ramp E, the westbound entrance Ramp) to SR 0022 westbound. The work consisted of roadway widening and intersection upgrades, which extend roadway improvements being constructed under an adjacent HOP permit. This is the publicly funded portion of roadway improvements driven by the FedEx land hub and other future developments located north of the site.
In addition to widening southbound Airport Road to provide a third travel lane, improvements to intersections and connecting roads such as T-633 (Postal Road), City Line Road, the Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA) Driveway and Avenue A were made. At the southern limits of the project, improvements extend onto SR 8018 exit Ramp E, with the addition of a second travel lane to allow for additional capacity and increased merging length.
With regard to the lighting design, the project’s objective was to replicate existing street light coverage along Airport Road and Ramp E to simulate existing conditions or enhance lighting coverage. Lighting design for this project also required compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and allowable vertical clearances due to the close proximity of the Lehigh Valley International Airport. Additional lighting improvements required the relocation of existing street lights at the LVIA entrance driveway and of existing LED street lights and wireless control nodes along City Line Road, owned by the City of Bethlehem. Additional coordination efforts were required between PennDOT’s Highway Lighting Unit for review/design approval, LNAA, FAA, and the City of Bethlehem to ensure the proposed street lights adhered to applicable jurisdiction requirements.
