Jun 6, 2013

Allentown, Where Nothing Matters Except The Arena

Schreiber's Bridge and Mill

If the snail pace of construction on the 15th Street Bridge isn't enough to aggravate Allentown southsiders,  they have a new insult coming.  Although the Administration is fast tracking the arena, they are unresponsive to the fact that the State will close northbound traffic on the Oxford Drive/24th Street  Bridge for the summer.  Considering that the 15th Street Bridge was delayed for decades, one would think that the Oxford Drive project could wait until the 15th Street Bridge is complete. Schreiber's Bridge, built in 1828, will now receive  even more traffic.

PennDOT Announces Start of Oxford Drive Bridge Project in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County  On behalf of Governor Tom Corbett, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced work will begin Monday, June 10 on a project to rehabilitate the Oxford Drive Bridge over the Little Lehigh River in the City of Allentown, Lehigh County.

The project includes bridge deck overlaying, expansion dam replacement, beam repairs, substructure and parapet repairs, and other miscellaneous construction. Beginning on June 10 and throughout construction, northbound Oxford Drive will be closed and detoured between Fish Hatchery Road and Lindberg Avenue. Northbound Oxford Drive traffic will be detoured on Fish Hatchery Road, Cedar Crest Boulevard and Hamilton Boulevard. Southbound traffic will be maintained. 

Work is scheduled to be complete this September. 

UPDATE: Dan Hartzell, of The Morning Call, reports on the closure at 4:30 this afternoon. As usual, no acknowledgment of this blog, despite my numerous posts about the abuse being sustained by Schreiber's Bridge.   The PennDOT press release is dated May 30th.

10 comments:

  1. That road is SR 2007. It is a PENNDOT road. If you are going to complain, at least know what you are complaining about.

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  2. @3:46, the post clearly states that it is a penndot project. the point is that the city should have prevailed upon penndot to delay the project, until the 15th street bridge is completed. what part of that logic can your bureaucratic, apologetic mind not comprehend?

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  3. Just a side point. Pa Dot doesn't usually care about what municipalities say. They act like gods.

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  4. @4:18, the city has no trouble communicating with the state about the NIZ. they even had no trouble prevailing upon penndot to move their office from lehigh street to hamilton street. closing oxford drive and 15th street at the same time is about as poor as planning as it gets. previously, apologists for the city about the 15th street bridge, said that oxford drive remains an alternative route from the south side.

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  5. Three major access roads to my neighborhood to the south and southwest of our home will be closed at the same time. This is pretty scary. The small bridge in the parkway or the 8th street bridge are what are left for access from Lehigh street. This is dangerous and should never have been permitted to occur.

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  6. bill @5:00, as you may well know, the section of martin luther king by the recycling center will also be closed because beams are being delivered to the bridge project there next week. terrible planning... even dan hartzell will comment on that today.

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  7. And the Union Street bridge by Union Terrace is also down. Hoping no one dies or looses their home to fire due to the inability of emergency personnel to reach our area. I am curious to hear any comment from any public official who reads this as to if our health and welfare were considered in closing off the major arteries to our area of the city.

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  8. bill@7:13, although this blog is widely read by city officials, when not blocked by their IT guys, don't expect any answers, at least by name. also, expect any official explanation to the press to explain how public safety has made all necessary arrangements. f. y. i., dennis pearson states that despite a ground breaking ceremony, construction has not yet started on the east side fire station.

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  9. What about emergency vehicles heading to the hospital? Both ways on 24th St. are utilized as lifesaving traffic patterns. Can't believe the city would close two arteries at the same time.

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  10. Blogger michael molovinsky said...

    @4:18, the city has no trouble communicating with the state about the NIZ. they even had no trouble prevailing upon penndot to move their office from lehigh street to hamilton street. closing oxford drive and 15th street at the same time is about as poor as planning as it gets. previously, apologists for the city about the 15th street bridge, said that oxford drive remains an alternative route from the south side.

    June 6, 2013 at 4:27 PM

    If patients die enroute to LVHHN
    there may be million dollar lawsuits.

    ReplyDelete

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