The Union Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 15 to hold a public meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 23, regarding a left turn lane at River Bridge Road and Route 724.
Board members want to know if township residents want the turn lane that would cost the township approximately $350,000.
The board will also discuss the township’s 2015 budget.
Board Chairman Donald E. Basile said the township would most likely fund their portion of the turn lane through a low-interest PIB (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank) loan.
‘The township has to decide if it wants to obligate the township for those kinds of numbers,’ said Basile, adding, ‘The traffic light would correct the deficiency at the bridge — with the number of accidents that occurred there — the end of the developer’s responsibility.’
He said a 10-foot-wide left turn lane would allow for the stacking of 10 to 12 cars. An eight-foot ‘shoulder go-around’ was PennDOT’s alternative to a left turn lane.
The total turn lane cost is anticipated to be $750,000, with half of it to be funded by developer Ethan Michael, Inc. (EMI).
EMI is the developer of the Liberty Bell Motorsports Park, which is planned to be located on Route 724. EMI’s Chief Operating Officer David M. Kleckner, said EMI will request final land development approval in October or November.
Construction would begin next spring and Liberty Bell would open in 2017.
‘The $350,000 we have set aside for the turn lane would be part of our maintenance agreement,’ said Kleckner.
Basile said the tax revenue from Liberty Bell would be about 75 to 78 percent of the construction costs. The township’s tax revenue could be $40,000 to $50,000 and about $1 million going to the Daniel Boone School District.
Kleckner said the township will also receive approximately $90,000 in additional annual revenue from EMI’s donation of $1 from each ticket sold at Liberty Bell’s six annual events.
‘That is when we would be giving money back to the township,’ said Kleckner.
The Board of Supervisors has been concerned with the traffic issues that they say will result from the 5,000 people at Liberty Bell’s six annual events.
Board members said the township’s roads weren’t designed and constructed for a large influx of traffic and bottlenecks would likely occur.
In order to begin mitigating the anticipated future traffic counts, board members met recently with PennDOT officials to review plans for the proposed installation of the left turn lane.
Although the township’s July 21 minutes reflect that two property owners on the south side of the intersection have agreed to allow use of their properties (through easements) for the turn lane, Basile said Sept. 15 that negotiations are continuing. The board unanimously approved to allow ‘traffic flaggers’ at the River Bridge Road and Route 724 intersection if the Liberty Bell Motorsports Park is ready to open but the left turn lane construction isn’t yet completed.
