County asked to install a traffic light or realign Central Avenue.
By: Charlie Olsen
While the Bridge Street bridge was being built there was a traffic light along the detour route across the temporary bridge coming out of the Lost Valley.
Now that the construction is complete, the light is gone. As a consequence, residents of Garry Street, Greisheimer Street, Driscoll Street, Van Neste Place and Haran Avenue are having problems turning left onto South Main Street from their neighborhoods, said Borough Administrator Gary Garwacke.
"We were hoping to keep the light," Mayor Angelo Corradino said at the Sept. 25 meeting of the Borough Council. "We realized the importance of having a light there and I hope, with the help of a council member, we’ll get a light there."
In response, Mr. Garwacke sent a letter to County Engineer Michael Amorosa requesting that the county consider replacing the temporary light with a permanent signal or realigning Central Avenue.
"We can’t just request a light," Mr. Garwacke said. "You need to have warrants for a traffic light; the warrants for the temporary four-way light for the detour was that all 500 homes needed the detour route out of the valley."
Mr. Garwacke said that he would rather see them align Central Avenue to the Weston Canal intersection, converting a three-way intersection into a four-way intersection, because Manville already has many traffic lights along Main Street.
"A lot of residents can’t get out to make a left on South Main Street," Mr. Garwacke said.
Mr. Garwacke said that he hoped the borough and the county could work out a solution.
"I don’t know what time, energy and money the county needs to do that, but they’ve got our support," Mr. Garwacke said.

