Concerns swirled amid the bustling public meeting room Tuesday night at the South Whitehall Township municipal building as residents learned more about the PennDOT Route 309 project scheduled for 2024.
For Karen Strettler of North Whitehall Township, seeing her house on the map was eye-opening. The reason? She was set to lose it.
“They’re just going to knock our house down. We have to reconnect our water, reconnect our sewage … the house was built in 1875. I mean, we’re just going to lose our house,” Strettler said, pointing to a map in the room. “Whatever land there is [left], they’re going to give it back to us. But are they going to give us a fair value of our house to rebuild what we have? I don’t know.”
PennDOT held the open house for residents to inquire about the project and for PennDOT employees to gather feedback about the two- to three-year-long construction.
Construction on the nearly 3-mile stretch is set to begin late next year and finish in 2026. During this time, the project will maintain one lane of traffic in each direction on Route 309, with closures and detours at different times along Church Road, Orefield Road and Route 309.
Megan Fallon, PennDOT project manager, said the project is intended to address safety concerns, enhance signal intersections and add pedestrian crosswalks. She acknowledged the magnitude of the task.
“It’s a challenging project because as much as you want to improve the flow and safety, we also have … residential and businesses along the corridor and you want to minimize impacts to those residents as well,” Fallon said.
Residents recognized the challenging nature of the project, yet at least one believed it wasn’t comprehensive enough.
Harry Miller of North Whitehall was concerned that the improvements might disrupt the sewer and water system.
“We need septic and water,” Miller said. “Where my property sits on [Route] 309, they’ll need to add it. My house sits 50 feet from the highway.”
Donald Peters, also of North Whitehall, owns eight properties in the area, six on Route 309 and two on Kernsville Road.
“The intersection at Kernsville and Orefield on Route 309 is inadequate. It needs to be widened, and turning lanes should be lengthened,” Peters said. “It’s for people’s safety.”
According to PennDOT’s project overview paper, three detours will be necessary. One will last a weekend, another six to eight weeks, and the final one four to six weeks.
The project will add traffic signals at six intersections: Walbert Avenue, Chapmans and Pope roads, Huckleberry Road, Lime Kiln Road, Orefield and Kernsville roads, and Shankweiler Road.
It will also widen the tributary to Jordan Creek culvert to improve sight distance between Snow Drift and Huckleberry Road, and offer broader turn lanes at the Huckleberry Road intersection.
Additional improvements will include sidewalks, ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, bus loading pads and drainage enhancements, as outlined on the PennDOT website dedicated to the project.
Miller is cautiously optimistic about the project’s scope, expressing hope that it unfolds favorably for all involved.
“I hope the program continues in such a way that’s good for everyone,” he said.
Emily Baxter is a freelance writer.
