During their May 28 meeting, the Allen Township Board of Supervisors updated residents on the status of ongoing bridge work that has resulted in numerous detours throughout the township. If all goes according to plan, residents may see shorter commutes before the end of the year.
The Indian Trail Road Bridge is closest to completion, with paving scheduled for June 3. Township Manager Ilene Eckhart said signage and striping will follow, with a tentative reopening of mid-June. The state road has been closed since June 2023 for PennDOT improvements.
The Howertown Road Bridge will also see paving soon. Eckhart said a project manager has confirmed that paving will begin in early June. The detour will remain in place during this process, with a projected completion date of mid-October 2024.
Finally, the Northampton County Bridge on Willowbrook Road will see a full closure starting on June 5, with expected completion in mid-October as well.
“With any luck, by the end of this year, the bridges should be all open,” said Supervisor Dale Hassler. “With any luck.”
In other news, Allen Township is moving ahead with renovations to the municipal building and fire complex. The township was not awarded the LSA Grant from Lehigh and Northampton counties for this project, something Hassler said was “disappointing.”
Funds from these grants could have helped pay for the renovations, which will improve the size and safety of the municipal building for staff and residents alike. Letters were sent to local lawmakers with the grant application.
Hassler asked Eckhart to invite lawmakers to tour the current building before the next grant application in the hope that doing so would allow them to see, in person, why the project is so important.
Although the grant was not awarded, the township is moving ahead with the project and officially awarded construction bids to Mohawk Contracting & Development LLC for general contracting, Asl Refrigeration Inc. for mechanical contracting, Albarell Electric for electrical contracting and the WARKO Group for plumbing.
Finally, there are several upcoming events in the township. First, the Dollar General Market project will tentatively appear before the Zoning Hearing Board on June 26. Supervisors have chosen not to submit a position for or against the project. Meanwhile, on June 29, the Movies in the Park season will kick off with a showing of “The Sandlot” at Howertown Park. There will also be a touch-a-truck event before the movie. The township is offering free water and popcorn. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs.
The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be on Tuesday, June 25 at 6 p.m.
