The soon-to-be closure of Route 29 (Main St.) in Pennsburg, for the removal of what once allowed Reading freight and passenger trains to travel beneath, will be tough.  The bridge is scheduled to close sometime during the week of Feb. 13 and won't be open again until sometime in October.

            Businesses and residents in and around the area of 11^th and Main Streets in Pennsburg and Red Hill will not be the only ones enduring an inconvenience that borders on a hardship.  Anyone who travels Main Street between the two boroughs, including delivery trucks, mail trucks, school busses, area residents, and those just passing through will have their patience tested.  Even pedestrians, especially students, will be using a temporary bridge that will be constructed for them to travel between the two boroughs.

            Temporary traffic lights will be installed at two locations along Montgomery Avenue and speed bumps will be installed to help calm traffic in the area. 

            Best now to make your plans for avoiding that area and the traffic congestion that is sure to visit the surrounding streets.  PennDOT is required to post appropriate detour signs but we all know that folks will look for the shortest route to bypass the $3+ million construction project.  However, the shortest route may not be the fastest.  One good traffic backup could ruin your day so plan now to avoid that headache.

            Keep in mind that safety should always be a top priority in your planning.  Think of the people who live on the streets you may travel and think of the children.  Slow down and travel at a safe speed when traversing the neighborhoods.  Heck, that's good advice anytime.

            Busses may run late, deliveries may run late, visitors may run late, and family may run late during this time.  Have patience and understanding.

            If you're in a hurry to get from one point to the other, leave a few minutes early and give yourself plenty of time to get to where you're going.

            Most important, keep your eyes and ears open for emergency vehicles traveling on these alternate routes.  Many are narrow streets with winding turns that those vehicles would only travel if the emergency was on that road.  A traffic jam that couldn't allow emergency vehicles to get through would be a travesty.  You don't want to be the cause of it.

            Our communities have grown over the past few years and many new residents aren't yet familiar with the area roads.  I encourage them to take a ride over the next few days and locate their work-arounds they can when Main Street is closed.

            I encourage business in the area to inform their retailers and delivery staff of the best and safest way to get to their establishments.  Many of your deliveries probably travel Main Street through the borough.

            The next eight months or so won't be easy and we all must prepare for the worst and hope for the best.