Letter to 'Road Warrior' Prompts New Traffic Lights

The approved a traffic signal upgrade for the intersection of Chestnut Street and Ramer Road/Colebrook Avenue at the board’s June 21 meeting.

The decision by the board was prompted, in part, by a letter from Upper Milford resident Geoff Conklin written to a Morning Call columnist known as the Road Warrior. In that letter, Conklin expressed his opinion that intersection needs larger, brighter traffic lights.

Another Upper Milford resident came out to the June 21 mentioning the Road Warrior column and supporting Conklin’s views about the need for more visible traffic lights at the intersection.

Is there an road somewhere in Emmaus Patch that you think someone should take a look at?

Joel Kleckner, of 4002 Miller Ave., said that he has lived near that intersection for almost 50 years and seen his share of traffic accidents caused by people blowing through the traffic light at Colebrook Avenue.

“My neighbor was T-boned by an out-of-state driver that didn’t see the light,” Kleckner said.

Township manager Dan DeLong told the Supervisors that he had asked a PennDOT official to take a look at the intersection after the Morning Call article. DeLong said he was told by PennDOT that by current standards, the 8-inch traffic signals at that intersection are indeed inadequate.

If the road were constructed today, it would have 12-inch signals, DeLong said.

The cost of the new traffic signal is $7,514.54, and that includes a plug-in generator that will keep the light running in the event of a power failure, DeLong explained. “We have half of the money in the budget to take care of it,” he said. “All of the existing support poles will remain intact.”