Plans for a state-of-the-art facility to be constructed in Lehighton continue to make solid headway.

By a unanimous vote, borough council last week granted conditional approval for the PennDOT/DGS Project at 930 Bridge St. at the recommendation of the planning commission.

On hand to address council about the project were: David Narkiewicz, assistant chief counsel of litigation for the state Department of General Services; Stephen Michalczyk, project engineer from Pennoni; Brian Leonard, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regional facilities manager; and Benedict Dubbs, project architect from Murray Associates.

They said the project involves getting rid of the buildings that have asbestos and replacing them with new and handicapped accessible buildings.

They also communicated to council that everything will be safer, cleaner, and better, and noted that everyone at the borough has been very cooperative.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky asked how long the project would take.

It was noted that it will take about 30 months from start to finish.

Abelovsky explained the reason for her concern.

“It is also going go affect traffic flow,” she said. “We have a traffic light that needs to be (installed) at that intersection.”

Abelovsky added that light has been on hold for about seven years.

Councilman Steve Hawk concurred.

“I drive there every morning,” Hawk said. “That’s a terrible intersection.”

Borough Manager Dane DeWire said that there have been many crashes at the intersection.

DeWire told borough council in December that he previously sent a letter to Lehighton Area School District asking if it could provide the borough with an update on the Ninth and Bridge street project.

In January 2022, Lehighton Area School Board approved an agreement acknowledging it would be its responsibility to pay for a traffic signal at the intersection of Bridge and Ninth streets if one is installed.

The agreement essentially upholds a memorandum of understanding signed by the district’s board of directors in 2017 when Lehighton’s new elementary center was being completed, accepting responsibility for installation of the signal when and if the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation deemed it necessary.

In January, the Carbon County Planning Commission reviewed a plan from PennDOT District 5-2 for the demolition and reconstruction of the maintenance facility off Bridge and Ninth streets. The current facility was constructed in the 1930s.

Plans call for the demolition and removal of the current maintenance facility and then constructing a 40,104-square-foot government service building, which includes office space and a vehicle repair facility.

Also, PennDOT has proposed construction of a 2,960-square-foot truck wash; 289-square-foot brine storage building; 305-square-foot salt storage shed; 560-square-foot electrical room; and 1,040-square-foot storage tank.