At Catasauqua Council's workshop session on Sept. 29, Councilwoman Deb Mellish expressed some concern that the data collected during the borough's traffic study might be influenced by construction now taking place on Second Street.

The borough contracted a study to evaluate traffic along Race Street where it intersects with Lehigh, Front and Second streets. The study is in response to a proposal by PennDOT to add signals to alleviate traffic congestion along Race Street.

Borough Manager Eugene Goldfeder indicated the critical data collected for the study was along Race Street and it did not appear that the construction impacted traffic counts.

Second Street is under repair where the hill descends to Race Street. The pavement buckled earlier this year and caused a washboard surface that the borough considered a safety hazard. To reduce the possibility of additional problems on the roadway slope, the hill is being finished in concrete.

"We are probably at least a month away from completing the road and getting everything back to normal," said Councilman Brian Bartholomew. The improvement sucked up most of the streets program funding. The temporary frustration at the Race Street intersection ultimately gives way to a better road surface.

The borough traffic study is eyed as a measure to look at Race Street improvements, but the impact of a major shipping warehouse center in Allen Township off Willowbrook Road cannot be addressed – nor can the stress on area roads from a possible future major development of the borough-owned property on Front Street.

The developer's study of traffic required by Allen Township for the project did not include the impact on Catasauqua streets. Hanover Township, which will see the brunt of traffic from the FedEx warehouse project, invited borough residents and officials to a meeting at the Days Inn on Airport Road last week to garner support for delaying the project until further studies can be completed.

Allen Township, which approved the warehouse project in August, benefits from increased tax revenues and has little exposure to the increased traffic.

Catasauqua Borough Solicitor Thomas Dinkelacker questioned if Hanover Township could have any influence over the direction of the project.