222 Bypass Traffic Study Coming

A conceptual traffic study that could help alleviate problems at the intersection of the Route 222 bypass and Mill Creek Road has been OK'd by Upper Macungie Supervisors.

Bethlehem-based developer Liberty Property Trust is moving forward with the traffic study as part of its desire to build two 1-million-square-foot warehouses on property near Air Products.

Supervisors instructed Liberty officials to go into more detail with PennDOT to provide a final traffic design for the intersection.

"We're at the very preliminary stages," said Liberty Property Trust senior project manager Bill Bumber. "What kind of improvements we do could significantly affect the safety and capacity of the intersection."

Liberty presented the conceptual traffic study to the township's Planning Commission in mid-April. Planners forwarded the study to the supervisors with the recommendation that it be supported.

Supervisor Sam Ashmar, also a member of the township Planning Commission, said dialogue on the matter will continue, especially with neighboring Lower Macungie Township.

"It's a challenging intersection," Ashmar said. "There was a good job done addressing it. There's no perfect answers. We'll investigate further if development goes on."

PennDOT records show 65 accidents with no fatalities occurring at the intersection from January 2007 through January 2011, which is the latest reporting period, according to spokesman Ron Young.