Myerstown Borough Council awards South Railroad Street reconstruction

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Myerstown Borough Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to accept a $256,410 bid from Kinsley Construction LLC, to rebuild part of South Railroad Street.

The project will include reconstruction and resurfacing from Center Avenue to Richland Avenue, with $180,000 to be paid for through a Community Development Block Grant.

CDBG grants, administered by the Redevelopment Authority of Lebanon County, are administered to municipalities based on income of residents and must go towards projects that support low-income or disabled residents. While some projects can be difficult to prove requirements are met, the improvements to the roadway qualify.

Council also heard from multiple residents of South Locust Street who expressed concerns that, once the state begins the State Route 501 bridge replacement, vehicles will use the neighborhood as a shortcut.

Read More: PennDOT: Detour for replacement of Rt. 501 bridge over Tulpehocken begins 6/23

“I think what we’re looking for is some temporary speed bumps or something, because we’re gonna be cut through,” explained resident Danielle Trumbore. “We’re cut through now, and they fly through at 60, 70 miles an hour. Once everybody realizes they can cut through, it’s just gonna be worse, and we’ve got kids, we’ve got dogs, and it’s 25 miles an hour and we can’t enforce it now.”

The bridge will be closed June 23 to October, and traffic is to be rerouted through SR 897 to SR 422, then to SR 501 (as shown in the below map, shared by the borough’s Facebook page).

Resident Bill Walker claimed the mirror on his vehicle has been busted by incoming traffic multiple times, also voicing concern for the safety of residents.

Mayor Dane Bicher noted that during a recent enforcement on the nearby Main Street, the state police issued around 32 citations and even caught one driver going 91 mph. Bicher said he would reach out to the state police to let them know speeding along Locust may increase during bridge construction.

Chairman Park Haverstick II said he would look into possible temporary measures to address speeding on the road. He said previously installed speed bumps drew concern from the fire department, but said he would investigate to see if temporary stop signs would be legal to install along the the road.

Council also unanimously authorized the solicitor to amend the borough’s ordinances to restrict large truck traffic on East Main, Broad, Cherry, and Locust streets.

In other news, council:

• Received a check of $175 from Daniel Ebling of the Elmer C. Ebling Memorial Charity to pay for electric and water costs accrued during the carnival, which Ebling noted he was not required to do.
• Unanimously agreed to appoint Andrew Carpenter to the Uniform Construction Code Board of Appeals.
• Tabled action on purchasing pickleball nets for recreation area courts.
• Unanimously agreed to terminate a lease with the Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging and entering a new lease to expire June 30, 2026, with a 4.5 percent increase. Haverstick explained the agency works on a July to June fiscal year and wanted its lease to reflect that.
• Unanimously approved minutes and reports.

Myerstown Borough Council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.