Hellertown Curb Ramps Will Soon Be Completed

A Hellertown curb ramp replacement project that was supposed to be wrapped up weeks ago should be completed this week, engineer Bryan Smith of Barry Isett and Associates told borough council Monday night.

Smith said that as of Monday, three sidewalk ramps still needed to be completed.

The project was drawn out because some of the handicapped-accessible ramps were not initially completed to Americans With Disabilites Act (ADA) specifications and had to be redone, zoning and codes enforcement officer Kris Russo confirmed.

“The sidewalk pads that had been marked out with yellow spray paint failed and were not accepted,” Russo said in an email after speaking with Smith. “The contractor had to remove and replace (them) at his own cost.”

Russo explained that “the unaccepted areas failed because of either quality of workmanship or conformance to the plans.”

“ADA ramps are extremely hard to install and have a low margin of tolerance, so if the ramp slope does not meet the standards, it fails,” he said.

Russo said a total of 13 ramps have been or are being installed along Water Street and New York Avenue between Northampton and Depot streets as part of the project.