During the East Allen Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, April 14, township manager Brent Green unveiled the township’s 2021 road maintenance program. Six township roads are slated to be chip sealed, with an additional seven roads listed as alternates should time and budget allow. Chip sealing is an affordable way to repair and maintain roads.
The first roads to receive maintenance will be Prospect Drive, Sylvan Drive, Laurel Court, Douglas Lane, Mohican Road, and Circle Drive, in that order. The alternate roads proposed are Penny Drive, Beatrice Lane, Pond View Terrace, Lois Lane, Louise Lane, Carol Lane, and Shady Lane.
However, the largest road maintenance projects will take place on Mountain View Drive and Mountain View Circle. These roads will receive a double chip seal and fog seal. Green added that these roads have “completely deteriorated” and this plan is the only other option other than a total restoration.
The total road maintenance budget for the year is $400,000, something Green said they are working hard to remain “tight to.”
In other news, PennDOT’s replacement plans for Old Carriage Road Bridge are available online for comment at http://www.centuryeng.com/carriage-road-bridge until April 30. PennDOT is aiming to begin construction in 2023.
Township engineer James Milot had one concern regarding the plans, which he voiced to supervisors. He said the nine-foot lanes with two-foot shoulders are “very tight.”
Supervisors asked Milot to submit a request to PennDOT, asking that they justify this decision and confirm that the lanes meet standard bridge width.
Finally, Green outlined the multiple projects the township is working on using funding from the CARES Act. A new website is launching by the end of the month, complete with emergency notification software and a reverse 911 system that can alert residents in case of an emergency. Software is also being installed that will allow residents and organizations to reserve park pavilions online and submit their payments through the website.
Finally, virtual streaming technology has been added to the municipal building’s meeting room so that supervisors can return to in-person meetings, but also broadcast the public meetings online.
The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
