Route 209 project to begin Monday

A rock remediation project along Route 209/Mauch Chunk Street in Mahoning Township will require weekday road closures beginning next week.

“These closures are necessary to protect motorists from any rocks that may fall during the work, and provide the contractor space to safely maneuver equipment,” Inspector-in-Charge Calvin Ulshafer said.

“We will allow emergency service vehicles to travel through the area for emergency response efforts.”

Starting Monday, there will be full closures of Route 209 north and south between Oak Drive and Race Street on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The closures are anticipated every week through the end of the project.

During the full closures, Route 209 traffic will be detoured on Packerton Dam Road, Hemlock Drive, Route 902, South Ninth Street, Route 443, Route 209, Harrity Road, Fairyland Road, Long Run Road, Maury Road and Route 903.

A single lane will be open on Route 209 north and south weekdays from 3 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 3 p.m. Fridays through 8:30 a.m. Mondays.

All lanes, from the Bagel Bunch lot to the Highland Beverage lot, will be closed Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the exception of July 2-6 and some other holidays built into the contract such as the Friday and Monday surrounding Labor Day weekend.

One lane in each direction will be open outside those hours, barring any unsafe conditions.

A number of fracture zones need to be checked, officials said. All of the fractures will be investigated to determine whether or not the rock there needs to come down.

Over the past several years, multiple large rocks slid off the side of Flagstaff Mountain (“Mansion House Hill”) alongside Route 209.

In fall 2017, a portion of the Mansion House Hill was closed to traffic while PennDOT contractors cleaned up after a rock dislodged and hit a car.

This section of Route 209 has an average daily traffic volume of 9,814 vehicles.

Road-Con Inc. of West Chester is the general contractor on the $3,550,829 project that is expected to be complete in May 2020.