About one-third of the way through the expected time-frame of the Tamaqua traffic detour for the Wabash Bridge Project, it appears careful planning has paid dividends. The large-scale rerouting took effect in early June, impacting busy routes 209 and 309 and everyday life in the downtown.

But it appears traffic has been flowing smoothly with few backups, even on Farmers Market Wednesday. This is good news. The fear of trucks being stuck on the hills or even worse, runaways, hasn’t panned out, at least to date. And changes in traffic and parking patterns on borough streets also seem to be functioning as intended.

Part of the reason is that the detour was carefully timed to begin after the school year ended. That was one of the most important decisions made in terms of safety and traffic volume. Of course, that’s not to say there hasn’t been a snag or two, or confusion and, at times, frustration.

In the detour’s first few days, some motorists expressed dismay at receiving traffic violation tickets for turning from Route 309 onto Spruce Street. That turn is forbidden under the temporary traffic plan as that particular block of Spruce Street has become one-way.

There also have been reports of truckers missing the detour signs and having to negotiate their way back.

A few other surprises also emerged.

Case in point, many motorists familiar with the streets have established their own detours, adding heavy volume where it wasn’t expected.

For instance, many cars (not so trucks) are using narrow West Cottage Avenue as a shortcut through the west end, avoiding the Spruce Street detour.

While Cottage Avenue continues to be two-way, it’s not wide enough for opposing cars to pass without some careful maneuvering.

Similarly, traffic has increased exponentially along Washington and Lafayette streets even though that route was never intended to be a detour. Still, many local motorists realize they can avoid downtown by zipping through what is known as the North and Middle Ward bypass.

But that development hasn’t gone unnoticed. Council members recently expressed interest in removing parking on a temporary basis at a narrow section of Washington Street to avoid potential for crashes in that area. In general, however, the project detour has been a case of so far, so good. And in some ways, the potential for major problems was very real. A review of PennDOT’s traffic volume studies over the past few years points up some interesting data.

The average daily traffic flow at the site of the subterranean Wabash Tunnel Bridge is in the 6,600- to 7,000-vehicle range. But the location connects with Route 309 less than a block away. Route 309 sees about 11,000 vehicles a day. Just several blocks north at the Hometown Hill, that number increases to 15,000 vehicles a day. In fact, one recent PennDOT report put the figure at 19,000.

Interestingly, routine inspections had been conducted at the Wabash Bridge site since 2006 by both the borough and state. In 2015, PennDOT declared the bridge section of the tunnel to be in critical condition, in danger of collapse due to the heavy traffic volume, which is why it was added to PennDOT’s priority list.

For this we can be thankful.

Just imagine what could have transpired if the tunnel had collapsed unexpectedly in a heavy-traffic situation. It’s easy to complain about the current inconvenience and hardship.

The detour has been difficult for businesses, residents, commuters and even some very important nonprofits. Citizens Fire Company had to cancel its block party, an essential yearly fundraiser. Similarly, the Tamaqua Historical Society had to cancel the annual Summerfest, a much-needed fundraiser and one of the area’s largest celebrations.

But if the final two months of the project and detour continue as smoothly as the first several weeks, the area will have accomplished a critical infrastructure improvement and dodged a bullet. The project is expected to wrap-up by Aug. 19.

Finally, let’s hope all concerned parties continue to monitor the 300 block of West Broad. There’s another hidden Wabash Creek Tunnel crossing beneath Route 209 in that area, too.

By Donald R. Serfass | tneditor@tnonline.com