4225 Easton Avenue Bethlehem, PA 18020 | 610-814-6400
Bethlehem Township

Public Works - Streets

Public Works Bethlehem Township For Your Protection,
PA Act 287 Requires You To CALL Before You Dig !!!!


Visit the PA One Call website for more information.

Street Occupancy Permits and Construction
Street Excavation and Street Occupancy Permits are required for any excavation of Township right-of-way.

The following material has been summarized from Chapter 21, Part 1 of the Codified Ordinances of Bethlehem Township for use by field personnel.

Applicants are notified of their responsibility for all requirements of Chapter 21, Part 1.

Summarized Chapter 21, Part 1 street occupancy information
Please call Public Works at 610-814-6442 for current fee schedule. See ordinance for railroad utility cuts.

The applicant shall provide the Pennsylvania One Call System Number.

The applicant shall be responsible for repairing defects in the surface of the road for two years after restoration.

No trench shall extend more than one foot beyond the centerline of the road without restoring the other half of the road for traffic.

All openings or excavations shall be backfilled with 2A modified stone and compacted in layers. Each layer shall not exceed 8" in depth. Backfill shall be placed to within 11" of the surface. The use of slag in not permitted.

Saw cut the asphalt surface 12" from the edge of the trench 3" deep.

A temporary paving of coldpatch premix, thoroughly bound and compacted, shall be installed flush with the surface of the adjoining paving and maintained for a period of 90 days. The Engineer or Public Works Director may specify hot mix, if ground temperatures are high enough.

On concrete base streets, the base shall be replaced with concrete; the minimum size of the opening shall be 16 SF.

All joints shall be sealed with hot asphalt to a width of 12".

While the street is open, all precautions shall be taken to keep street safe and passable to vehicles and pedestrians, including the use of flagmen, guard barriers, lanterns, barrels and other devices.

Roadside trenches shall be backfilled with select material and covered with topsoil. The surface shall be re-seeded with a suitable grass mix as specified by PennDOT regulation.

The applicant shall notify the Permits Clerk and the Chief of Public Works of the dates the excavation will be open and prior to the final restoration.

The person who is issued the permit shall save and keep harmless the Township of Bethlehem from any losses or damages related to the excavation.

The permit does not confer upon the permitee the right to cut, remove or destroy any trees or shrubs, unless expressly granted in the permit.

The Township reserves the right to correct unsatisfactory work and will charge the applicant for all Township costs plus 20%.

CALL 814-6442 TO ARRANGE AN INSPECTION 24 HOURS OF ADVANCE OF OPENING.

Click HERE to view or download a copy of the Street Occupancy Permit application.
Click HERE to view or download a copy of Act 287 (PA One Call).






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