Update on Future Road/Bridge Construction Projects

Steinwehr Avenue Phase 2 Streetscape:  The project is in the planning and design phase.  To date, the Borough and Federal Highway Engineers are drafting the Agreement between the parties to include PENNDOT.  The design engineers are working on gathering data and may begin survey work shortly.  The Borough and Federal Highway met with the utility companies and are coordinating efforts among them.   The schedule is as follows: 2012-2013 Prepare the design and construction drawings.  Once stormwater, utilities and design is about 75% complete, there will be a public meeting and comment period.  Depending on what comes out of the public process, revisions may be made.  Construction of utilities is proposed to begin after Remembrance Day celebration in 2013.  Once the utility are done with their work, the streetscape construction is estimated to begin in late winter and be completed by mid June in 2014.  All parties were concerned that an accelerated construction schedule would spell disaster for the businesses during the Sesquicentennial celebrations in 2013. 

Middle Street Streetscape:  The Borough received extra funding for the project and is preparing the bid documents with the construction contract to be awarded in early May.  The project consists of brick sidewalks and decorative lighting in the first block of Middle Street.  Due to recent changes to Federal Highway requirements,  the Borough crews cannot construct the sidewalk improvements and they must be constructed by a firm that is “registered and recognized” by the Federal Highway Administration.  It is anticipated that construction should take about 45 to 60 days to complete.

Route 116 Bridge Closure/Replacement:  The Borough was informed at the January meeting of ACTPO (Adams County Transportation Planning Organization) that PENNDOT is moving the schedule for the bridge up by 3 months to address concerns raised about the bridge being closed during 2013.  PENNDOT is preparing to award the bid in late April with construction beginning in May 2012.  They anticipate that construction of the bridge will be completed with the bridge reopened in Spring 2013 prior to the anticipated spike in visitors for the Sesquicentennial celebration in 2013.  The Borough will periodically update this as construction information as more information becomes available.