Lehighton has agreed to apply for additional funding to complete a project that would significantly alter Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard.

Borough Council on a Monday approved a resolution requesting a Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal Fund Grant.

The grant is in the amount of $573,245, and would be utilized to create safe pedestrian connections and calm motorist traffic along the Waterfront.

The project would construct a pedestrian walkway along the west side of Lehigh Drive; eliminate the full-length turn lane along the 0.6-mile stretch of the bypass; install three pedestrian crossing areas that would be outfitted with pedestrian push-button activated rapid flashing signals.

Additionally, all three crosswalks, along with the gateway area onto Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard, would be enhanced with landscaped curb extensions to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety.

The project would encourage and promote bike and pedestrian traffic from the Waterfront and Lehigh Drive, to cross Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard.

Council’s decision comes after it agreed in February to apply for additional funding to complete the project when it applied for both PennDOT Multimodal funding and Department of Community and Economic Development Multimodal funding per the recommendation of borough Manager Nicole Beckett.

Beckett noted at that time that the borough had previously received a $230,000 award of the Local Share Grant for the project.

She said at that time the total project estimate is over $850,000, which includes a pedestrian walking path along Lehigh Drive, ADA improvements, pedestrian beacon lights, two additional crosswalks, stormwater improvements and concrete bump outs in the left lane in order to create a designated turning lane for each driveway or street.

In January, state Sen. John Yudichak, I-Luzerne/Carbon, and state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, announced that eight Carbon County projects would receive $710,000 in state grants through the Monroe County Local Share Account.

The project stems from a waterfront traffic study that was completed last year at the recommendation of council for the existing conditions, and to prepare for future growth.