Following a meeting with Lower Saucon Township officials Thursday, PennDOT announced in a press release that a one-lane section of Riverside Drive known as the Narrows has been closed “due to recent undermining of the roadway and a retaining wall.”
“This recent undermining is forcing the closure of the road for safety reasons,” the statement said.
Although PennDOT called the closure of the Narrows “temporary” and said a repair plan will be formalized at some point, the statement indicated that there is “no time frame for repairs…at this time.”
While the Narrows is closed to through traffic, motorists will be detoured between Steel City and Redington Road via Applebutter and Lower Saucon roads.
The Narrows was closed for more than a year after it was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, until the lobbying efforts of local officials led PennDOT to repair and reopen it.
Many Steel City residents oppose closing the road, since it is one of only two roads out of the densely populated neighborhood.
“It needs to stay open. There are people that live on that road down there and there is the gun club. If it does get closed then Bethlehem, Freemansburg and Lower Saucon police better let us people that live in Steel City in when there’s an accident in the front of Steel City,” wrote Zach Hafner in a comment posted on the Saucon Source Facebook page.
“Exactly, we would be trapped if this closed and something happened at the bridge. Unfortunately it’s probably going to take an incident for them to realize it,” wrote Kelly Sauerwine.
Andrew Meilinger blamed the decision on “bean counters” in Harrisburg who are “senseless.”
