Hellertown Borough Council discussed posting weight restrictions on select thoroughfares at their meeting Monday, after it was revealed that recent truck traffic has caused significant damage to some streets and property.
Borough manager Cathy Hartranft said there’s been an increase in truck traffic through town because of the construction of buildings at Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII–north of Interstate 78. That truck traffic will continue to increase as businesses open in the sprawling brownfields development between Rt. 412 and Easton Road.
Most if not all of the trucks should not be diverting onto residential streets but “they’re getting lost,” Hartranft said.
A member of the Hellertown Police Department, Ofc. Kevin McCarthy, was recently certified in posting weight limits on roads.
The cost to post a road is about $2,100, Hartranft said, because of engineering requirements such as road surface “core borings.”
Councilman John Bate scoffed at the cost and questioned how the money will be recouped.
“We’re banking on giving people fines,” he said.
“We’re going to hope that we’re going to get enough of these guys to make that mistake,” he added. “I wouldn’t consider doing any of these roads.”
Bate acknowledged that he works in the trucking industry.
Council president Tom Rieger disagreed with Bate’s assessment of the proposal.
“It’s not a money grab. It’s enforcing road safety,” he said.
Although eight roads–including several side streets at the north end of town–were originally slated to receive the restrictions, council ultimately voted to pursue posting weight limits on just three: Northampton Street, High Street and Linden Avenue.
“We may have to come back to this again,” noted councilman Joe Pampanin, who said he’s personally witnessed the damage done by trucks to the corner of Clauser and Kiernan in his neighborhood.
Council also said it plans to work with LVIP VII on having directional signage posted to help keep trucks away from residential side streets in the borough.
