Steel City roads to be repaved under $826K contract

• Lower Saucon Township plans to repave 13 roads in Steel City
• The project will cost $826,628
• Work will begin in early September, officials say

LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Steel City's roads will be getting smoother, as the township council recently approved an $826,628 project to pave 13 streets in the neighborhood.

The roads slated for fixing include Adams, Mixsell, Johnston, Jefferson, Schwab, Fritz, Mathews, Roberts, Ivywood, Gawell, Saucon and Snyder avenues, and Nemeth Drive,

Township Engineer Brien Kocher at the Aug. 16 meeting said the work would be starting soon, as he’d been communicating with the contractor on the starting date and other details.

“They’re targeting the first or second week in September to mobilize and get started,” Kocher said. “Hopefully we’ll see some work out there before the next council meeting.”

Officials on June 16 unanimously approved Bracalente Construction Inc., of Northampton, to handle the job.

At that meeting, Council President Jason Banonis said he believed this project had been in discussion for about a year while plans were arranged and bids were sent out.

“This was an effort I think we began, I think it was in September of last year, to look at hiring an outside paving contractor to do the entirety of Steel City, similar to what we had done in Saucon Terrace,” Banonis said. “That was a very successful project, and it was able to free up public works staff to address paving needs in other parts of the township.”

Council member Priscilla deLeon asked if the contractors had considered how the work could affect school bus routes. Kocher answered that Township Manager Mark Hudson and other officials would be working to coordinate that with the school district.

Officials clarified that the project would not include any changes to Riverside Drive, as that's a state-owned road.