5 Things to Know About Main Street Construction

The following questions and answers are from this week's meeting of the Downtown Bethlehem Association:

Q: We were told it would only take one day in front of a specific store at a time and there wouldn’t be construction on Saturdays, but now neither of these things are happening.

A: They need to finish as soon as possible to finish for events and Musikfest, if they change their plan it will just take longer as a phase and extend the entire project.

•   There is nothing to show that business are still open, so the DBA will work on coming up with generic signs that can be moved around the streets, depending on where the construction is taking place, to let customers know the stores are still open.

Q: Why now and not during a time that is not the 3 busiest months of the year?

A: There is no “good” time to do this project, Bethlehem has so many events and it will always run into something. They wanted to start this asap so they can finish asap. Also, if we have a phase finished by Musikfest, it is a great opportunity to showcase the project and fundraise for money to complete the project.

Q: Can they work somewhere else during Restaurant Week instead of right in front of the restaurants?

A: They are flexible and will look into working on the other side of the street for this week 

Q: Will trees be cut down?

A: Yes, but they will be replaced immediately and they will be full size trees being brought in by crane, ready to be decorated for Christmas. 

Q: Can they put planks out leading from the street to the business when the sidewalk is torn up?

A: Yes, they are willing to do that.