Expect Rt. 412 Delays Monday for Lehigh Graduation

PennDOT is warning motorists who use Route 412 in South Bethlehem and Hellertown to plan for “heavy traffic and delays” in the construction zone Monday because the Lehigh University commencement ceremony is expected to bring extra traffic.

Lehigh’s 145^th Commencement Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m., rain or shine, at Goodman Stadium in the Mountaintop Campus.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation warns that traffic between Commerce Center Boulevard and Friedensville Road will be extra heavy between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.

PennDOT is currently in the midst of a $36 million project to improve the corridor between Interstate 78 and South Bethlehem, including widening the road to five lanes.

Currently, traffic through the construction zone is limited to one lane in either direction and is expected to remain that way through March.

The overall project targets the area between Daly Avenue in Bethlehem and Cherry Lane in Hellertown and is expected to be completed in August 2015. The project also includes improvements to the Route 412 Interchange with Interstate 78.

Scientist, comedian, author and inventor Bill Nye will deliver Lehigh’s commencement address. Nye is the executive director of The Planetary Society, the world’s large space interest organization, and was the host of three television series, including Bill Nye the Science Guy, on the Science Channel, PBS and Planet Green.