Humpton, Fisherville Roads, GO Carlson Blvd. among top priorities
By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
CALN – The Caln Township Board of Commissioners discussed a number of different road repair projects that the township will undertake this year at its meeting Thursday night.
Township Engineer Jeffrey McClintock presented plans to work on Humpton Road drainage, GO Carlson Boulevard drainage and deterioration repairs, and Fisherville Road slope repair.
McClintock said that no definite plans are in place yet, as he still has to discuss the matters with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials on Monday and possibly complete surveys of the roads after that.
Drainage issues on Humpton Road have caused increased runoff. One possibility for dealing with this runoff is to utilize the drainage swales along the road.
McClintock also said GO Carlson Blvd. is dealing with a number of issues. Though the road was recently repaired, it was not repaved, so is has continued to deteriorate.
Fisherville, which the township is currently evaluating for repair costs, has a few areas where the shoulder of the road is deteriorating.
McClintock said that discussing these issues with PennDOT will allow the township to see which of these issues the state is already planning to deal with, which could reduce costs for the township.
PennDOT also plans on expanding the bridge on Osbourne Road to allow easier access for larger trucks. However, resident William G. Anderson III presented a number of concerns to the Board, saying that the road’s width and condition are cause for alarm.
Anderson said that the portion of the road in Caln Township—as opposed to East Brandywine, which is responsible for about three quarters of the road—is about 17’6” wide and narrows to below 17’ at certain points. The width is especially of concern because gas trucks and school buses utilize it. He said that drivers often have to pull over when passing one of these vehicles.
“My personal concern is school buses alongside those trucks,” he said.
Anderson also presented photographs of shoulder deterioration and water gathering on certain portions of the road, forming large patches of ice. He said that though the township often deals with these problems in a timely manner, he would like to see permanent changes made to prevent them.
McClintock responded, saying that PennDOT is responsible for the bridge and any related safety surveys. He said he has confidence that PennDOT will take care of any possible hazardous situations.
“Everybody has a relative definition of speed, flooding, and safety,” he said.
He presented the idea of possibly having a survey done to weight restrict the road, which could keep larger vehicles off of it.
Commissioner Josh Young said that the township could look into the possibility of contacting those responsible for GPS directions. Often, truck drivers rely on GPS to know which roads to take, and the township could attempt to have Osbourne Road taken off of GPS guidance for trucks.
Commissioners also plan on discussing the matter with the propane companies that utilize the road and Krapf Bus Company.
In Thursday night’s meeting, the township decided to have a geotechnical analysis of the road done if East Brandywine is also willing to pay for half of it.
In public safety news, Police Chief Joseph Elias said that he received at least six letter of appreciations from residents who commended the township on its dealing with road safety in response to the recent weather.
Fire Chief John Cordisco said that the fire department is currently collecting donations for 2014. In addition to the usual letter mailed to residents, the department will also have four small rubber boots with the department’s logo circulating to local businesses. The boots will be placed near cash registers, encourage people to donate.
