At the March 11 Bath Borough Council meeting, representatives from Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reviewed the plans for the upcoming Route 248 realignment project, with a timeline of the construction. The borough’s general public and business owners were also invited to hear the presentation.

The project is expected to affect the entire borough and take about three years to complete. It will involve detours, traffic and public inconvenience. The PennDOT statement for Bath residents during the Route 248 realignment project is “temporary inconvenience; permanent improvement.”

Bath Borough Mayor Fiorella Reginelli Mirabito asked residents to be patient throughout the construction process. She said, as far as she knew, Bath is the only borough in Pennsylvania with five state highways running through and intersecting in a borough. Mirabito added the project will address some of the borough’s serious traffic issues when completed.

At the conclusion of the discussion, council President Frank Hesch said the traffic situation and a long construction “is frustrating for all of us.” He stressed Bath is not in control of the project.

He said he wants to hear from residents to discuss any issues arising from the construction project.

Borough Manager Brad Flynn said PennDOT’s Route 248 realignment project will be placed on the borough’s website for the public to review. Flynn expects the project to begin sometime this summer, with expected completion around the summer of 2027.

Michael McGuire, from PennDOT, said the project will be difficult and complex for the next few years, affecting traffic patterns. He noted it may slow down travel in the borough. McGuire also noted funding is about 80% from the federal government and 20% from Pennsylvania.

In other business, council passed resolution 2024-002, allowing the tax collector to waive additional charges for real estate taxes under certain circumstances. Resolution 2024-003 adopts the borough’s Right To Know policy. The resolution designates Flynn as the borough’s Right To Know officer. All resolutions and ordinances are available on the Bath Borough website.

The borough’s community and economic development committee has a business forum planned for 7-9 p.m. April 11. The forum will be held at borough hall, 121 S. Walnut St.

The forum subject is security. There will be a presentation by the Pennsylvania State Police to touch on crime data in the borough and explanation of the state police’s coverage and services in Bath since 2018.

The purpose of the business forums is to afford the Bath business community the opportunity to have a casual discussion about their concerns and challenges within the Bath community. The forum is open to the proprietors, managers and employees of businesses within Bath Borough.

Residents with questions are asked to call the borough office at 610-837-6525 or email the committee chair, Frank Hesch, at fhesch@bathborough.org.

An ordinance repealing and removing an accessible parking spot at 129 Washington St. was approved for advertisement.

The next Bath Borough Council meeting is set for 6 p.m. April 10 at borough hall, 121 S. Walnut St. It is a hybrid meeting, with both in-person and virtual options. Visit bathborough.org to access the call in codes for the virtual meeting.