Rt. 412 Restrictions Concern Officials, Business Owners

Note: This story has been updated with additional information (Tuesday, May 7, 5 p.m.)

Frustration over PennDOT's plan to barricade several side streets at the north end of Hellertown's Main Street was expressed at Monday's Borough Council meeting.

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However, now that the barricades are about to go up, five business owners who will be affected by the restrictions on turning traffic are worried, council members said.

Those five businesses—Top Star Exxon, Superior Auto, 412 Auto Tags, Vassi's Drive-In and the Chevy 21 used car center—are located on the west side of Main Street between High Street and the interstate.

"Superior (Auto)—Mr. (Ron) Smith—is one of the ones that’s really nervous and upset about his business," council vice president John Bate said.

Bate also questioned how the barricade at Hess Avenue will impact traffic in and out of Top Star Exxon, which he said is a busy stop for casino-related bus traffic.

"I’d really like to see if we can work with (PennDOT)" to keep Hess Avenue somewhat accessible, Bate said. "I think they really need to look at that one intersection."

Council President Phil Weber said PennDOT also wants to prevent northbound traffic from turning into the businesses, "because everything's going to be so tight."

Police Chief Robert Shupp expressed frustration over what he described as PennDOT's unwillingness to work with the borough on devising a compromise solution to the current plan, which officials said was designed to help prevent through traffic from detouring onto side streets.

"Let’s get them here to talk to us," recommended Shupp. "(PennDOT) is blocking access to a state road."

On Tuesday, PennDOT Engineering District 5-0 spokesman Ron Young said the state agency is listening to the borough's concerns about the new restrictions, and has been since they were first raised Friday.

The contractor for the Route 412 project, HRI Inc., has been in continuous contact with Borough Manager Cathy Kichline since work began in the area last year, he also said.

"We do our best to inform everyone before a project begins," Young said.

Kichline said Monday that she had already spoken with State Rep. Bob Freeman (D-136) about the borough's concerns regarding the current plan, but council agreed that additional legislative support should be sought.

"This is another instance where PennDOT hasn’t thought everything through again," said councilman Tom Rieger, who made a motion to "demand" that PennDOT come to a meeting with the borough and state elected officials.

The motion was approved unanimously, after which Weber noted that "We haven’t even heard from the residents yet.”

"We will," predicted councilman Joseph Pampanin.

Young said PennDOT officials are scheduled to meet with borough officials and affected business owners on Friday.

While ready and willing to hear the concerns raised, "we're not going to do anything that would compromise safety in the work zone," he stressed.

Within those parameters he said PennDOT will try to "be accommodating."