Members of the Central Carbon County Comprehensive Planning Committee were told by a transportation consultant at Thursday's meeting that traffic volumes will increase by 17.3 percent in the area over the next 20 years.

It was noted that while the area has some strengths, it also has issues with traffic congestion, lack of turning lanes and of coordinated traffic signals.A large portion of the discussion centered on the McCall Bridge, which was built in 1938 and was last rehabilitated in 1981.Nicole Kline, a transportation consultant for McMahon Associates, headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, said that the bridge is scheduled for rehabilitation at a cost of $23 million, but it really should be replaced with a six-lane bridge at a cost of $60 million.When committee member attorney William Schwab asked how many people travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge in Carbon County, Kline replied that it handles approximately 24,000 vehicles daily and that traffic over those bridges are free flowing.Schwab then questioned why the Turnpike Commission would replace the bridges, which were four lanes, with six lanes while the McCall bridge, a two-lane span, handles 23,000 cars a day.Kline said that a bridge that size would be overused with 15,000 vehicles, plus it has traffic lights at either end to further slow traffic.Schwab noted that the comprehensive plan should emphasize the need to have a new, larger bridge built rather than rehabilitate the old McCall bridge.Kline agreed that the $23 million should be used toward the cost of a new bridge."If they refurbish the old bridge, it will mean that you will not see a new bridge for a much longer time because of the cost," she said. "They really need to focus on getting the money to replace the bridge."Kline also updated the committee on four other major transportation corridors within the Central Carbon County area - state routes 443, 209 and 248 and Interstate 476. She outlined the troublesome key intersections, "bottlenecks" that nearly choke some areas in the transportation corridors, local bridges, traffic volumes, the need for turning lanes and the concept of lanes for bicycles to help decrease dependence on vehicles. Airports, railroads and the lack of 24-hour bus service within the area were also discussed.Kline noted that major collector roads connecting municipalities and major traffic generators convey fairly heavy traffic, while minor collector roads serve the same purpose but serve mainly local traffic. Local roads are roads within neighborhoods that provide short distance access to farms and businesses.Kline said the "Smart Transportation" guidebook, developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, integrates planning and design in a manner that fosters development. Smart Transportation encompasses network connectivity and access/corridor management.Kline also noted that the Harrity Bridge (over Pohopoco Creek in Franklin Township) replacement project will include a new permanent signal and should be completed by January 2013.Kline said the transportation plan will target traffic improvements to meet capacity needs which support smart growth land development throughout the region. It outlines suggestions that communities can adopt to ease congestion.Thursday's meeting was the group's 10th session over the past 18 months.Allen G. Heist, project manager and consultant, chaired the meeting, which was held at Schwab's office. Representatives included Paul Kocher and Rod Mann, Franklin Township; Schwab, East Penn Township, Frank Ruch and Bruce Steigerwalt, Mahoning Township, and Darryl Arner, Lehighton. Weissport was not represented.Heist updated members on what remains to be done to complete the comprehensive plan and the public meetings that have to be scheduled. A draft of the comprehensive plan is scheduled to be forwarded to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development by the end of June.Public meeting are scheduled to be held later this summer. The committee will meet again at 6:30 p.m. July 21 to go over changes before setting the dates for public meetings.The committee plans to hold a meeting with the local planning commissions before offering it to local communities for review and adoption.