After what Borough of Bath Supervisor Mark Saginario called a “disappointing” and “disheartening” meeting with PennDOT about the proposed Route 248 re-alignment project, the Borough of Bath is making plans to renovate West Northampton Street itself.
The Route 248 re-alignment project was scheduled by PennDOT for 2019 and 2020. This project would include upgrades to West Northampton Street. However, PennDOT told borough officials it is currently revisiting those plans, which means the upgrades can be delayed for several more years.
“We as a council need to make a decision,” said Saginario. “We did not have it in the budget [because] the state and county were supposed to take over.” Now, he says, that is not going to happen.
“I think we try to do something with that road next year. We have to,” he added.
Borough Manager Brad Flynn, Mayor Mirabito, and other members of council agreed.
“[The road] is extremely bad now,” said Mayor Mirabito.
Flynn said the cost to upgrade the road could range anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000. He said a bid should be put out in early 2019 so work can begin next summer or fall.
“It is going to be big,” he said.
However, council worried about the condition of the road for one of the borough’s biggest events of the summer: Spuds and Suds.
The borough’s public works team is currently cold patching the road before the event. However, with PennDOT’s delays, the borough is ready to take the road’s larger improvements into its own hands.
