Plans for Lehighton’s waterfront area continue to advance, with borough council approving a plan for the waterfront traffic improvement project.

The borough has chosen Concept B, which calls for a decorative brick paver for the crosswalks at Route 209 and Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard, along with the road surface to designate turning lanes.

Borough Manager Nicole Beckett said the life span for the pavers and surfacing can be expected to last 10-20 years.

Beckett said this application is more costly, so the borough will not be able to complete the entire length of the left lane. Paint would be used at the southern end.

She said this concept includes the pedestrian beacon lights, speed indicators and additional trees.

“The grants available should cover the items in Concept B, however, that will be further determined once the project is designed and bid,” Beckett said. “Borough council will be further discussing additional grant submissions for this project.”

Beckett was previously authorized to submit the application for traffic signal approval for the flashing beacon along Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard.

Additionally, council last month approved a resolution authorizing Beckett to submit the traffic signal maintenance agreement and future correspondence pertaining to the flashing beacon along Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard.

In December, Bryan Smith, of Barry Isett & Associates, discussed two options with council.

The other concept called for thermoplastic pavement marking materials for crosswalks - with a five-year life span - as well as rumble strips, the pedestrian beacon lights, speed indicators and additional trees for landscaping, and rumble strips would have been proposed along the length of the bypass.

Both concepts include the bituminous materials for the walking path along Lehigh Drive, Beckett said.

Beckett previously asked Smith if the borough should look at redoing the speed limit down there, as the speed limit is 40 mph there, and if the striping should be changed.

Smith said council should absolutely look at redoing the speed limit, and added the striping would be yellow.

Beckett also discussed the potential removal of the directional sign after receiving a report that the signs are deteriorating.

The new plan includes a walking path along Lehigh Drive; pedestrian beacon lights; instead of bump-outs, there would be a textured surface in the turning lane similar to a rumble strip; decorative crosswalks; and solar power speed monitors to tell motorists their actual speed.

The work along Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard and Lehigh Drive would include a 6-foot-wide walkway, crosswalks, curb extensions, ADA ramps and signs. The continuous left-turn lane along the boulevard would be removed.

Beckett said Council did not commit any matches to these grants or the projects at this point. The borough has received a total of $480,000; $250,000 through the Multimodal Transportation Fund Program that was received in December, and $230,000 from Local Share funds that were awarded in 2020.

“With that, we can anticipate the project and engineering to cost $480,000 unless council were to allocate match funding. Until design is complete and the project is bid, we will not know the funding needs,” she said.

That project stems from a waterfront traffic study in 2020.