Plan for Traffic Delays Through Five Points Today

If you drive along Wyandotte Street or through the Five Points intersection of South Bethlehem during the day, brace yourself today for a traffic mess.

A contractor will begin milling and overlaying Wyandotte Street between Five Points and W. Fourth Street at 9 a.m. Work is expected to continue until 3 p.m. and may resume on Thursday, according to the city Department of Public Works’ Facebook page.

While two-way traffic will be maintained, backups are likely to occur. Be aware of possible delays and use caution through the work area.

The street project today is the culmination of a controversial decision to remove the left-turn traffic lane from northbound Wyandotte Street into the McDonald’s and restoring a curbside parking lane on the east side of the street’s 400 block.

While property owners across the street from the fast-food restaurant said the change will make the street more pedestrian friendly and make their businesses more viable, McDonald’s employees and representatives vigorously opposed the change before City Council voted to approve it in December.

The left-turn lane was established and the parking lane taken away when McDonald’s was built in 2002. One restaurant representative said they may not have located there without the turn lane.

Left turns into the restaurant parking lot will now be illegal and McDonald’s fears that northbound motorists may not want to drive around the block.

McDonald’s threatened that the fast-food restaurant, which is currently open 24 hours, may be forced to cut back hours or lay off employees.