"It's the worst intersection in the township," echoed Comm'r John Merhotten.
Currently, Farmersville Road intersects with Freemansburg Avenue at two different locations over 100' apart. A person traveling along Farmersville Road has to turn onto Freemansburg Avenue, drive a short distance and turn again.
Dillman, a professional engineer, told Comm'rs that the design phase will take 12-24 months, starting with a traffic count and analysis. After that is finished, he will have to conduct topographic and property surveys to determine the best way to straighten the intersection. It may involve the acquisition of privately owned property, which Dillman hopes can be done amicably.
Funding for the design alone is estimated at $110,000-120,000, but can be paid out of transportation impact fees imposed on developers.
Dillman told Comm'rs he intended to start this immediately because a state highway occupancy permit is needed. "When we walk out of here, I'm on the phone," he said.
That intersection was part of a traffic study, that included cost estimates, earlier in the 2000s, but enough time has lapsed, that a new study is warranted. That intersection has long been a nightmare. At one point, when a developer (I'll leave name out) was going to develop the old PPL tract, the Twp had successfully negotiated as part of any approval that the developer (not taxpayers) would pay to straighten and signalize the intersection. However, that development fell by the wayside years ago, and I believe PPL has since reused part of the tract for storage (?). So, while at one time private money was going fix, with increased traffic since then, the Twp needs to bite the bullet for public safety. It is why traffic impact fees are collected. While I wouldn't hold my breath on results, I hope the twp is at least approaching PennDOT for some money to help defray eventual signalization costs since Freemansburg is a state road.
ReplyDeleteFor way too long (forever), Bethlehem Township is a do nothing township. You need an Amphibus to navigate around green pond which has been an issue for how long? Forever! Nothing done! Flooding at Butztown Rd, nothing... concrete sidewalk across from Keystone Pub, nothing done... Brodhead rd took many many years to fix and what was that cost to taxpayers? Million dollars? And I see they want to fix another industrial park road for more millions and all due to neglect and administration incompetence... Please show me the engineers phone record where he called someone last night stating he's on it right away, bullshit! Engineers are and have been the problem for municipalities across the Lehigh Valley and just makes you wonder...
ReplyDeleteThe commissioners are too busy listening to the anti-tax squeaky wheels than to actually move our town forward.
ReplyDeleteCurious on the status of the sidewalk debacle across from the Keystone Pub....
ReplyDeletePlease show me the engineers phone record where he called someone last night stating he's on it right away, bullshit!
ReplyDelete"On the phone" to report another windfall of cash to his boss
So the upcoming Community Days event has the same township police dept going in for the money grab and Hudak giving them 8-10k for doing their job in their community? Something stinks!
ReplyDeleteBrown has written a new law about Allentown State Hospital to pander too developer leave the name out just like the NIZ leave the name out?
ReplyDeleteThis should be illegal:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.wfmz.com/news/new-plan-to-knock-down-former-allentown-state-hospital/1083353452
11:50 What the hell does the state hospital have to do with Bethlehem Township?
ReplyDeleteUnless I am mistaken there was a land transaction in the last few years for the piece of property north of Freemansburg Rd. For some reason I thought it involved the school district, and I thought the intent was to make land available for the realignment in the process. I may be wrong on all counts.
ReplyDeleteYup, the school district owns the vacant field on the corner. A guy named Shapiro has a house that ideally the front yard will block the best route. I think they tried to negotiate getting a piece of his property a few years ago. It would make things pretty tight on his property if the road ran across the corner of it.
ReplyDeleteThis has been the subject of negotiations for years. Some of the history was discussed at Monday night's meeting, but I failed to take notes of that portion of the meeting.
ReplyDeleteNo need to do a traffic study just install a 2 way traffic light & be done with it. leave the roads the way they are. or a 4 way stop signs or red flashing lights up DONE
ReplyDelete