A Whitehall resident appeared before the board of commissioners Monday night to discuss traffic concerns resulting from construction of a new bridge on Route 22 and the widening of the Lehigh Valley Thruway in the south end of the township.

The projects have resulted in detours around the Fullerton area, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic that poses dangerous issues for everyone, according to resident Joni Tedesco.

“It’s horrendous; it’s like suicide,” said Tedesco, who lives in the area affected by the construction.

She said she has seen a dramatic increase in vehicle traffic. Oftentimes, when vehicles are southbound onto Fifth Street, drivers must wait for the traffic light two or more cycles before they are clear to proceed.

Fifth Street, in particular, when not bottlenecked by traffic, has also become a speeding zone for motorists possibly trying to make up time due to the detour.

“They fly up Fifth Street,” said Tedesco, who suggested having “an officer sit there.”

“Put some money in for the township,” she said, referring to ticketing speed limit offenders.

Business owners in the lower end of Fullerton have already expressed their frustrations regarding what the highway construction will do to their businesses in the months ahead.

Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. said the detours and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s massive bridge and road project will be around for a lengthy stay - up to two years, in fact - but the steady progress at the site of the overpass was discussed.