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Projects in LMT
- Brandywine Swale Improvements
- Gehman Road Bridge Replacement
- Sauerkraut Lane Extension
- Maulfair Drive Stormwater
- Brookfield Park Stormwater
BRANDYWINE VILLAGE SWALE PROJECT
In the coming months the Township will initiate the construction of its first pollutant reduction project, which for design purposes, is being referred to as the Brandywine Village Swale. The swale can be seen from Mill Creek Road and Sauerkraut Lane; it is located directly in front of the Brandywine Fire Station. Pollutant reduction projects are a requirement of the latest National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Municipalities, like Lower Macungie Township, are required, by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, to maintain an NPDES permit as the owner and operator of a small MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system). In short, the purpose of an NPDES permit is to address water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to waters of the United States.
For this current permit term, which expires on April 30, 2025, Lower Macungie Township is expected to address a minimum of a 10% sediment reduction of its current sediment loading volumes. Without going into too much detail, the sediment loading volumes were calculated using a program called Wiki Watershed, which analyzes geospatial data (i.e., land use). Each land use is associated with a unique loading rate or volume. In total, the Township is expected to remove 581,295 lbs/yr of sediment loading. In order to accomplish these goals, the Township must construct new BMPs (best management practices) or renovate existing BMPs. BMPs are managerial, structural, or vegetative practices used to treat, prevent, or reduce water pollution. The Brandywine Village Swale project has been selected as the first pollutant reduction project as it is expected to address the removal of 321,414 lbs/yr of the required 581,2
95 lbs/yr of total sediment loading.
The Brandywine Village Swale currently functions as a mowed vegetative BMP with the sole purpose of conveying stormwater flows to the Little Lehigh Creek. In its present form, the swale offers very little in the way of water quality improvements. By vegetating the swale with a more appropriate seed mix, the swale will provide a number of benefits. The proposed rain garden meadow mix will slow runoff, promote infiltration, while also filtering pollutants and sediment.
It is worth noting that the project proposes the removal of the existing fencing, for aesthetic purposes. However, for safety reasons, portions of fencing will remain at either end of the swale. The side slopes will be leveled out to the extent possible in order to mitigate safety concerns. The idea is to create a more natural landscape, akin to that of a creek bed. For this reason, the concept plan goes beyond the swale and also addresses the surrounding area.
Adjacent to the swale, on the western side, will be a large meadow area. The meadow area will be planted with warm season grasses, native shrubs and deciduous trees, with various showy perennial plantings mixed-in around higher traffic areas. Eventually, the Township would also like to incorporate wild flowers into the meadow area, but it is best to solidify these areas first before attempting to propagate wild flowers, which can prove difficult to establish. Please keep in mind that these vegetated areas will not be indicative of the final result for some time. Township staff is adamant on constructing something that residents will want to see and/or pass by on a regular basis. A good established local example of this type of project can be viewed at DeSales University; the naturalized area is located at the intersection of DeSales Drive and Landis Mill Road. In the end, the Township strives for this area to be pleasing to the eye, mitigate maintenance costs, establish habitat for native wildlife species, while also achieving our pollutant reduction goals.
Anticipated Dates
- The project bid award and contract is expected to occur in May, or at the very latest, June of this year.
- You may start seeing some earth disturbance activities sometime between July and September. The intention is to have the area graded and the soil prepared for seeding and planting sometime in late September and/or early October – this will allow the seeds and plantings to establish next year.
- The project will take two to three years to fully establish.
For More Information
We appreciate your patience during this project. For additional details about this project or Lower Macungie Township’s MS4 Program, please email Zach Graves, Water Resource Specialist, or call him at 610-966-4343 extension 121.
See full size Landscape Concept Plan |
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Gehman Road Bridge Replacement For Summer of 2022
Many of you travel daily on Gehman Road and drive across the Gehman Road bridge. The bridge is located near the railroad tracks and the Mack plant. This bridge is nearing its useful life and it is necessary that the Township replace it. The replacement project will include the removal of the metal bridge deck and upgrading of the walls underneath the bridge. The metal bridge will be replaced with a new concrete structure. This new bridge structure is anticipated to last another 30 years.
The Township awarded the bridge replacement project at our Board of Commissioners meeting on December 2, 2021. This was done to allow for the contractor to have enough time to order the necessary materials. The work on the bridge is scheduled to start after the end of school in June of this year. It is anticipated that this work will be completed by August before school starts. The project is going to require that Gehman Road be closed between Grandview Drive near the Mack plant and Scenic View Drive during this time. It is not possible to have a lane of the bridge open during the work. Travelers will need to detour on an alternate route. We know how impactful that this closure and detour will be to everyone. Please keep checking our website and the Lower Macungie Newsletter for updated information on detours and project schedule. We look forward to sharing more information about this project!
Anticipated Dates
- The Township awarded the bid for this project on December 2, 2021
- We anticipate work on this project to begin on June 6th and be completed by August 30th
- Gehman Road will be closed during this time and a detour will be in place.
For more information
We appreciate our residents, business owners, and visitors patience during this project. For additional details, please email Dennis Hinkel, Public Works Director, or contact the Pubic Works Department.
Sauerkraut Lane Extension Project
Residents have seen construction in the area of Spring Creek Road, Quarry Road, and Route 100.
The work that you see is related to the construction of an extension of Sauerkraut Lane. This portion of Sauerkraut Lane will connect Spring Creek Road and Route 100. The project will take several phases to complete.
The project involves new construction from Spring Creek Road to Quarry Road. This includes a new at-grade railroad crossing. The existing portion of Quarry Road near Quarry Park will be reconstructed to align with the new railroad crossing. The last phase will be connection to Route 100. The existing Quarry Road will be closed off to Route 100 and a new dead end created.
Anticipated Dates
- The project construction began at the end of July 2021 and will last until approximately May of 2022.
- Quarry Park will be closed from July of 2021 until winter of 2022, due to additional stormwater and road work needed.
- The existing portion of Quarry Road is closed to through traffic and detours are in place for residents and businesses to access the southern portion of Quarry Road.
For More Information
We appreciate our residents, business owners, and visitors patience during this project. For additional details, please email Bruce Beitel, Township Manger, or contact Bruce through the Township Information Email.
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Site Plan | Sauerkraut Lane Cross Section | Quarry Road Cross Section | ||
Project Pictures | |||
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April 22, 2022 |
Maulfair Drive Stormwater Improvements
The Township will be completing road and stormwater improvements on Maulfair Drive and Maulfair Place. These improvements will include the removal and replacement of aging storm sewer infrastructure as well as the installation of nine (9) additional stormwater inlets and several hundred additional feet of storm sewer piping. This project will expand coverage of the storm sewer system and relocate the point of discharge in an effort to mitigate erosion concern. Traffic may be affected during this project.
Anticipated Dates
- The Board of Commissioners awarded the bid for this project at their April 7, 2022 meeting
- We anticipate construction to begin in late May or early June and take approximately 90 days to complete
For more Information:
We appreciate our residents and visitors patience during this project. For additional details, please email Dennis Hinkel, Public Works Director, or contact the Pubic Works Department.
Construction Plans
Brookfield Park (Bridal Path West) Stormwater Project
(Cross Creek Drainage Improvements)
The project will reestablish a previously existing stormwater basin in order to relieve the storm sewer system during wet weather events. During larger storm events, the existing system is overtaxed, which creates a bottleneck that prevents flows from exiting in the system in a timely manner. As a result, properties adjacent to one of the systems inlet structures has experienced unintended flooding. The reestablishment of the basin will provide relief and prevent the bottleneck from occurring. The reestablished basin is not intended to hold water for an extended period of time.
Anticipated Dates
- The Board of Commissioners have awarded the bid for this project at their April 7, 2022 meeting.
- We anticipate construction to begin in late May or early June and take approximately 90 days to complete.
For More Information
We appreciate our residents patience during this project. For additional details, please email Zach Graves, Water Resources Officer, or call him at 610-966-4343 x126.