Work on roadway leading to fire training facility to begin this summer

Work on the roadway leading to the proposed multiuse fire training facility in Nesquehoning will begin this summer.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners approved two actions regarding the permit needed to begin the widening of Emergency Lane, the road leading to the Emergency Management Agency and future site of the facility.

“We finally got our permit,” Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said, adding that it was over a year in the works.

He said that the bid specs can now be written up and the project will hopefully go out to bid by the end of the month with the anticipation of the contract being awarded and work beginning on the road by July.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Nothstein said.

The commissioners pointed out that Emergency Lane will be shut down during the construction of the widened road, which is needed to accommodate the increase in fire apparatus that will be traveling that lane.

A set of stairs will be installed at the far end of the county prison parking lot up to the Emergency Management Agency for employees during the construction.

Nothstein added that meetings that use the EMA will also be relocated to other sites while the project is taking place.

The widening of Emergency Lane is phase 1A in the estimated $10 million project.

The facility, once completed, will provide fire departments with live fire training sites, a drill tower and other training necessities, as well as give police, county departments and EMS classroom and training options that normally are completed in other counties.