Designers Outline Plan For New Falls Road Sidewalks

The addition of sidewalks along a portion of New Falls Road in Bristol Township and Middletown is coming closer to becoming a reality.

Engineers working on behalf of PennDOT recently outlined plans for adding sidewalks between Bristol-Oxford Valley Road and Durham Road. The sidewalks would link with existing segments in the area of the Veterans Highway (Route 413) intersection.

Engineer Nathan Parrish of HNTB Corp. said there would be some traffic signal upgrades and curb ramps added along the stretch.

Once a contractor is secured, the project is planned to start next spring.

The work is expected to go out to bid in the coming weeks.

PennDOT has previously estimated that the project will cost about $1.7 million.

During the roughly two-month-long project, the contractor will close the lane of New Falls Road that sits along the side where the sidewalk installation is happening. The lane will reopen at night once work for the day has been completed, Parrish said.

PennDOT has been working to secure and alert residents of the right-of-way for the addition of sidewalks for several years. Parrish said gaining right-of-way for the roughly mile-long project has taken some time.

Bristol Township resident Sharon Rearick, whose son killed by a hit-and-run driver along New Falls Road in 2012, said she was thrilled that the project is a step closer to happening.

Rearick said her goal once the sidewalks are completed will be to have an additional segment installed from Bristol-Oxford Valley Road to the Five Points intersection.

“Baby steps,” Rearick said.

Middletown officials plan to reach out to PennDOT to encourage them to add sidewalks all the way to Five Points, Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls said.

“Any project that keeps pedestrians and motorists safe is a great one,” said David Walter, the spokesman for TMA Bucks.

Bristol Township and Middletown officials have previously signed letters of intent for the project.

A section of sidewalk was installed in 2016 along New Falls Road in Falls Township. The concrete and asphalt sidewalk cost approximately $300,000 and were installed between Vermillion Drive and Penn Valley Drive near Pennsbury High School.