WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A road where a Lehigh County man was hit and killed last Christmas has been shut down over safety concerns.
On Monday night, the Whitehall Township commissioners unanimously supported the temporary closure of Water Street, but neighbors in that area have been voicing concerns about its safety for decades.
Whitehall commissioners lend support to short-term Water Street closure
Mayor Joseph Marx closed part of the street to through traffic on Sep. 22. The issue, homeowners say, is that drivers use the narrow street as a cut-through and don’t follow the 25 mph speed limit.
Traveling through Whitehall Township’s ‘Darktown’ neighborhood, it’s impossible to miss the “road closed” signs. The signs and barriers are a win for those who live along Water Street, off of the Lehigh River.
“It’s been a little calmer. We still see some traffic down here, it’s still an open road but it definitely has been a dramatic impact with having it no longer be a throughway,” said resident Diane Fleming.
Fleming has lived on Water Street for the last decade.
“This street realistically isn’t wide enough to have the capacity for two-way traffic, especially when you factor in speeding, oversized vehicles, oversized trucks and the lack of pedestrian sidewalks. It takes about a mile from my home to the nearest bus stop for my child so it’s scary,” Fleming explained.
In 2019, Fleming tells us, her husband was hit by a distracted driver.
“My husband was hit by a car pulling into his spot, our driveway back in 2019 by someone who wasn’t paying attention who was speeding through here,” Fleming said.
Last Christmas, 75-year-old resident Edward Tomcics was killed when he was struck by a driver speeding through.
“It definitely is a chronic problem that had a personal impact for us and then the death of Ed was really impactful for us in the neighborhood,” Fleming stated.
During Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, board members approved an engineering study to be done by Keystone Consulting Engineers and Benchmark Civil Engineering Services Inc. on Water Street. The study, which costs $41,500, will determine which properties encroach the road and evaluate what can and can’t be done to make the street safer.
“I’m excited to see the outcome of that. I don’t know if having this road closed at the end is going to be their permanent solution but I’m excited to see what comes of it,” Fleming concluded.
The engineering study is expected to take several months.