A cutting-edge facility to be constructed in Lehighton has cleared its final hurdle.

Borough council last week unanimously granted final approval to PennDOT/DGS for their land development plan at 930 Bridge St., at the recommendation of the planning commission.

In May, borough council granted conditional approval for the project, which involves getting rid of the buildings that have asbestos and replacing them with new handicapped accessible buildings.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky asked how long the project would take, at which time it was noted the project will take about 30 months from start to finish.

Abelovsky said it will affect traffic flow, as the borough has a traffic light that needs to be installed at that intersection, and added the light has been on hold for about seven years.

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.