Repairs to a bridge located on Route 73 just west of Friedensburg Road in Oley will cause traffic detours and tie-ups for nearly a year, according to information provided at the Sept. 9 Oley Township supervisors’ meeting.
The supervisors advised residents that signs will soon be appearing directing all east-bound and west-bound drivers wanting to make a left-hand turn onto Friedensburg Road to turn instead onto Lynx Drive, located approximately one mile east of Friedensburg Road. From there, traffic will be directed onto Main Street and then back onto Friedensburg.
In addition to the detours, Supervisor Mark Hoch said it will be necessary to close Route 73 at various times throughout the construction process. The closures, which will occur only on weeknights between the hours 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., will necessitate the rerouting of all traffic onto Main Street.
According to Hoch, construction is slated to begin on or around Sept. 23 and will take up to a year to complete.
General contractor Kinsley Construction of Wyomissing has contractually agreed to complete the work on or before Sept. 12, 2014.
In response to one resident’s concerns, Police Chief David White said oversized and heavily weighted trucks will be subject to restrictions and most will not be rerouted onto Main Street. Exceptions will be made for trucks destined for Weis’s Market, located in King’s Plaza, while other restricted vehicles will be advised to continue on Route 73.
Supervisor Jeff Spatz said all vehicle and truck restrictions will be enforced by both local and state police; violators will be ticketed and heavily fined.
In other business, James A. Coker attended his second meeting as supervisor after replacing Craig A. Conrad, who resigned from the board Aug. 4. Conrad, who resigned via email citing lack of time and interest, did not return a phone call seeking additional comment.
Supervisors Jeffrey A. Spatz and Hoch tapped Coker on Aug. 12 to fill Conrad’s seat through the rest of the year. Since Coker, 78, won the May primary to fill Spatz’s seat, he will then move into the six-year slot vacated by Spatz.
Spatz’s term expires at the end of this year and he did not seek reelection.
Berks County Director of Election Services Deborah Olivieri said she has not yet received a name to fill Conrad’s two-year, unexpired term, but that both the Republican and Democratic parties have until Sept. 16 to place a candidate on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Also at the meeting, Spatz said a proposal had been presented to the owner of sacred oak property, Christopher J. Hartman, to allow public access to the site during specified days of the year.
Spatz, while calling the proposal ‘good news,’ reminded residents that until an agreement is reached, the property remains private and closed to the public. Access to the site can only be obtained with Hartman’s consent.
In addition, the supervisors unanimously agreed to close Main Street from the blinking light on Route 73 to Lynx drive to all but local traffic for a 30-day period. While the closure will begin at the discretion of township police, it is expected to coincide with the Route 73 bridge construction.
After the 30-day period, the road will be reopened to one way, west-bound traffic only. No determination was made as to whether the road would be permanently designated as one way.
The supervisors designed Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. as the official Halloween trick-or-treat night.
Finally, it was announced that all budget items for 2014 must be submitted by Sept. 30.