How to Make Covered Bridge Park Even Better

South Whitehall Township has hired a consultant to conduct a master site plan of Covered Bridge Park and study connecting it to the proposed Jordan Creek Greenway.

The greenway is a 13-mile trail system that would stretch from Allentown to  the Trexler Nature Preserve in North Whitehall, intersect through Covered Bridge Park, and connect to the Appalachian Trail.

The Board of Commissioners awarded a $55,965 bid to Yost, Strodoski, Mears Landscape Architects at its meeting last Wednesday.

"We feel they had a very good price and we believe they will provide the best product," Public Works Manager Robert Ibach said.

"We liked their presentation, they had lots of good ideas. They seem fully capable of completing it by December," he said.

The project will be funded with $70,000 in grants, including $30,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, $15,000 from Lehigh County and up to $25,000 from the township. 

The township received bids from nine firms, ranging from $47,000 to $73,000, according to Ibach.

A six-member selection committee narrowed the choices down to the four highest-scoring. 

Ibach said the firm will study all of Covered Bridge Park, including parts that are not developed yet, evaluate existing uses and determine if any improvements can be made on its layout, conditions and other areas. 

He said they will look at repairing the buffer along the Jordan Creek and see if they can improve the health of the creek, and provide better fishing and recreation.

The consultants will look at the practicality of connecting the proposed Jordan Creek Greenway to the park trail and the best way to cross the creek, Ibach said.  

President Commissioner Tori Morgan, who was a member of the selection committee, said a community survey conducted by the township several years ago, revealed the township's park system and its benefits ranked high on the list.

"This is definitely an area we felt was important to look at and to make sure we're getting the best use out of it," Morgan said. "It's a great project."