Coal Township Industrial Park Road Construction

Economic development is a key to creating new jobs and increasing the quality of life for area residents. Larson Design Group (LDG) completed the design to construct a public road for an Industrial Park in Coal Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, helping create 400 new jobs with a local manufacturing tenant. The road is located off of State Route 0901, east of Shamokin, mostly on an abandoned railroad grade.

LDG provided a traffic impact study to determine how traffic flow would impact the transportation network in the vicinity of the project. Site engineers designed the roadway, coordinating the necessary Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), obtained the necessary outfall structure permits, provided wetland delineation, and protection for the future construction project.

The road, approximately 1.5 miles long, was constructed along Quaker Run, which has been polluted due to strip mining that had occurred in this area. Although Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations mandate increased soil infiltration to control erosion, it was decided not to increase any stormwater runoff that could potentially add to the acid mine drainage. Therefore, instead of ground infiltration, drainage to culvert pipes to divert the stormwater was constructed.

LDG’s staff also provided utility coordination and full-time resident inspection throughout the project.

Due to the tenant’s desire to move quickly into the new industrial park, LDG’s engineers advanced the design and permitting in just over 2 months, enabling a rapid construction start.