Editor's Corner

Recent Incidents Highlight 412 Corridor's Congestion

Route 412 in Hellertown and Bethlehem isn't just a highway to the casino--it's an artery that local residents rely on. Two recent incidents have demonstrated, however, that this road has become dangerously congested.

What do you do when you're told to detour, but there's practically nowhere left to go? Saucon Valley and Bethlehem residents who rely on Route 412 to get to work, to school--and in emergencies to a doctor or hospital--may have asked themselves this question during two recent incidents that clogged 412 traffic north and south of the I-78 interchange on the border between the two municipalities. The first incident occurred July 21, when a car fire broke out at the Chevy 21 auto dealership at 1100 Hellertown Road (Route 412) in Bethlehem. No one was seriously injured, but 12 cars were destroyed by the fast-moving blaze. And considering that the fire broke out amid gasoline-filled vehicles, the outcome could have been much worse. Although the …

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Parts of Northampton County Hit Hard by Heavy Rain

Motorists were forced on detours when sections of William Penn Highway and Willow Park Road in Bethlehem Township were closed due to flash flooding this afternoon. A flash flood warning remains in effect through 9:15pm for central parts of the county.

Monday afternoon's commute turned into a wild and woolly ride for many area residents, as freak heavy rains and flash flooding brought traffic to a crawl in many locations around the Lehigh Valley. In the Hellertown area, shortly before 5pm, traffic backed up near the Route 412 interchange on Interstate 78, as cars attempted to exit the highway and found an artery already clogged with vehicles. The main problem area along Route 412 was north of Cherry Lane in the city of Bethlehem--an area that experienced significant traffic congestion just days ago, following a fire at the Chevy 21 auto dealership. Earlier Monday afternoon, minor flooding was reported along Water Street in Hellertown, although by 5pm traffic appeared to be flowing …

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