Traffic Light Update Expected at Dec. 19 Meeting in Upper Nazareth

The Upper Nazareth Board of Supervisors is expected to give an update on the traffic improvement plan for East Lawn Road (Route 191) and Friedenstahl Avenue at its Dec. 19 meeting.

Township solicitor Gary Asteak and several board members met with Bud Newton, of Newton Engineering, who provided a presentation and update on the effort to have a traffic light installed at the intersection near Nazareth Area Middle School.

Asteak recommended the board table public discussions and subsequent motions until Chairman Mike Rinker and Supervisor Andy Donello, who did not attend the meeting with Newton, are brought up to speed.

The Nazareth School Board on Nov. 19 approved raising the financial cap for Newton Engineering from $25,000 to $30,000. Newton is working with the school district and Upper Nazareth to get PennDOT approval for the traffic light, Superintendent Dennis Riker explained.

He told the board that Newton’s fees currently total $23,000. He said he didn’t want a situation where the engineering firm exceeded the $25,000 cap, so he recommended raising it. He also told the board that attorneys on all sides are still hashing out legal issues.

After the meeting, Riker said the  for the project and is committed to getting the traffic light installed. He also said a timeline that would include a date on when the light will be installed has never been established.

In a June story in The Express-Times, Riker’s predecessor -- Victor Lesky -- said Newton Engineering was able to get the project’s cost down from more than $2 million to about $1.2 million.

The district sent a letter to Upper Nazareth in May asking how to proceed.

PennDOT spokesman Sean Brown, according to the article, said the agency provided comments on early concept plans and will continue to work with the school district’s engineer to get the project done.

The Upper Nazareth Board of Supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19.