Lehighton has taken the next step toward the redesign of a heavily used thoroughfare.

On a 6-0 vote, borough council on Monday agreed to apply for a transportation grant for the reconstruction of Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard.

Councilman Steve Hawk was absent.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire previously applied for $2.06 million through the Pennsylvania Multimodal Transportation Fund for the removal of all concrete roadway constructed in the 1980s between Bankway Street and Lehigh Valley Health Network Pediatrics.

DeWire said the project would consist of the installation of new subbase stone, an asphalt base course, an asphalt top course, and new roadway paint.

He said additional funding was requested to repair any storm and sanitary sewers that are found in disrepair, as well as sidewalks and curbing that may be damaged.

The application was submitted July 31.

He said after the meeting the project consists of removing 3,200 linear feet of deteriorated concrete roadway along Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard within the borough.

DeWire said the roadway would then be reconstructed with new subbase stone and two layers of asphalt, which will provide a new, safer road surface and provide the Lehighton Public Works Department with a more repair-friendly roadway to mill and resurface in the future.

“The borough hopes to receive enough funding to replace Sergeant Stanley Hoffman Boulevard in its entirety, which extends 0.6 miles within the Lehighton Borough between the (Route) 209 Southbound split at 163 Bankway St. to the (Route) 209 Northbound split at 363 North First St.,” he said. “This also includes a single-line exit ramp at the Northbound split which diverts Southbound left-lane traffic back onto (Route) 209 north,” he said.

DeWire noted the Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard is a heavily traveled section of Route 209, which acts as the gateway between the northern and southern halves of the county for travelers. Along with providing Lehighton and county residents with access to the neighboring municipalities, this stretch of roadway serves as a main thoroughfare for motorists accessing the Lehigh Valley, the Greater Hazleton area, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, he said.

“At the time of its construction, the roadway provided a convenient bypass ... but its monolithic concrete design is impossible to maintain with the borough’s budget and equipment,” DeWire said. “Now, four decades later, it is becoming unmanageable and unsafe.”

DeWire added that the borough “receives many complaints regarding the roadway cracks and potholes, but the repairs are beyond Lehighton’s capabilities.

“By reconstructing this 0.6-mile section of deteriorated highway, the Borough of Lehighton would be providing safer travel for motorists,” he said. “Furthermore, the project would provide a more serviceable road surface where asphalt could be milled and replaced at will with the borough’s existing paving machinery.

“Reconstructing the Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard would result in a positive economic development and would help to retain jobs in the area.”

DeWire noted that in years past, many of the borough’s roadway projects were completed by local excavation contractors.

“We hope that these contractors bid on the work to keep hardworking Pennsylvanians working in their own backyards,” he said. “Furthermore, reconstructing the roadway between our downtown business district and the riverfront property will boost development as the borough continues to improve these areas.”

DeWire said there is an eight-month turnaround expected between April and November 2025.

Last year, a Traffic Calming Project geared toward traffic and pedestrian improvements was completed along Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard.

Finished in November, the project included the removal of four sections of turning lane, which were replaced with depressed curbs and decorative brick pavers.

It also consisted of the installation of three ADA-compliant brick paver crosswalks at the intersection of North Main Lane, as well as the installation of a 6-foot wide asphalt path connecting the D & L Trailhead Pavilion to the Lehighton spur closer to the Weissport Bridge.

In August 2023, borough council awarded Livengood Excavators the Waterfront Pedestrian Safety and Traffic Calming Improvement Project for $690,092.

The project was to be funded through the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

The borough has received $480,000 toward the project — $250,000 through the Multimodal Transportation Fund Program that was received in December 2021, and $230,000 from Local Share funds that were awarded in 2020.