PennDOT Officials to Discuss Future of ‘Narrows’ at Meeting

PennDOT and Lower Saucon Township officials are expected to discuss the future of a one-way section of Riverside Drive known as the “Narrows” at a meeting scheduled for Thursday morning at PennDOT’s district maintenance office in Bethlehem Township.

According to emails, the Narrows in Lower Saucon needs repairs PennDOT says could be cost prohibitive, and closing it to through traffic will be one of the options discussed.

In advance of Thursday’s meeting “road closed” signs were recently deposited by PennDOT along the side of Riverside Drive in Steel City, Lower Saucon Township councilwoman Priscilla deLeon said.

“(It) seems like they are all ready to close the road despite not meeting with Lower Saucon Township officials,” she wrote Tuesday in an email to state legislators.

Expected to attend Thursday’s closed meeting are township manager Jack Cahalan, and roadmasters and fire chiefs from Lower Saucon and Williams Township.

The Narrows stretches from just beyond the Steel City Hill Climb east to Redington Road, and is one of only two roads that lead out of Steel City.

It was closed for more than a year following Hurricane Ivan in 2004, until local officials aggressively lobbied to have it repaired and reopened.

“We need your help again in keeping this road open for all the same reasons as before,” deLeon said in her email. “We have over 230 homes just in Steel City, not counting the businesses on the Narrows or the other houses along Redington Road.”

Tell Us: Should the Narrows remain open to through traffic?