POTTSTOWN >> It may be a while before anyone can drive through the intersection of King and North Charlotte streets.
The intersection was closed in April after a several chunks of stone fell off the church tower of First Baptist Church and hit the ground.
Borough officials closed the road to protect pedestrians and motorists alike.
But it’s been almost two months, and the intersection remains closed.
During a joint meeting of the Pottstown School Board and Pottstown Borough Council Tuesday, Borough Manager Mark Flanders fielded questions about the status of the crumbling steeple and closed road.
He said the church officials first had an engineering team look into the condition of the steeple and found the tower with a pinnacle at each corner requires extensive and expensive repairs to be made safe.
Built in 1910, “this beautiful church has become an Achilles heel during the last several months,” according to a posting on the church website.
“To remove the bell tower and replace it with a less challenging contour will cost approximately $300,000 and to do a complete restoration could cost over $1,000,000,” according to information posted on the website.
“This places our small congregation in a difficult position,” the church posted.
Flanders said he had been informed that the church is currently pursuing funding to take the steeple down as the quickest and least expensive way to reopen the intersection.
There is currently no timeline available for how long that may take.
“It’s regrettable, but it’s a major intersection in town,” Flanders said.
The intersection takes Route 663 off King Street and up North Charlotte Street.
Currently, traffic is being detoured along Beech Street to North Hanover Street.
