Council approves $200,000 PennDOT grant for Bogart's Bridge repairs

Allentown City Council approved a $200,000 supplemental appropriation from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on Wednesday to support repairs to Bogart's Bridge in Lehigh Parkway.

The funding is intended for repair and restoration work rather than full reconstruction, council members said during brief floor questions. City staff explained the project will involve removal of the bridge for off‑site repairs to structural components, restoration of pillars and reinstallation to reflect the bridge’s historic appearance.

Why it matters: The bridge is a historic covered structure in Lehigh Parkway. The council’s action authorizes the capital budget amendment required to accept and allocate the PennDOT set‑aside funds so the project can proceed through the city’s permitting and historic‑preservation processes.

What council asked and what staff said

Councilmember (unnamed on the record) asked whether the $200,000 would cover significant construction. A staff speaker responded that the work is for repairs: "it's for not reconstruction, but the repairs and maintenance," and later described a process to remove the bridge, repair pillars and restore the span to its historic condition.

Staff located the bridge in Lehigh Parkway — described on the record as near the fish hatchery and the south end of the park — and confirmed the project went through the historic preservation review process.

Next steps and constraints

Staff said the bridge work will be labor intensive and will be coordinated with historic‑preservation officials; the transcript indicates scheduling and further project details will follow through normal capital project procedures and coordination with PennDOT.

Ending

The measure passed unanimously. Council members indicated the appropriation covers repair and restoration activities and is not intended for wholesale reconstruction.