Plan to Improve Covered Bridge Park Nearly Complete

A master plan for improving Covered Bridge Park is almost finished.

But before the plan is implemented, the consultants are seeking the public’s input before the plan is finalized.

On Monday night at 7, in the South Whitehall Township Building, consultants will present the preliminary park design and request public comment.

The township hired a consultant firm in June to design a master site plan for Covered Bridge Park and to study connecting it to the proposed Jordan Creek Greenway. The master site plan is intended to provide a blueprint for future conservation and recreation improvements at the park.

The Jordan Greenway, begun in 2009, is spearheaded by the Wildlands Conservancy, the non-profit organization dedicated to protecting land, river and recreational resources in the Lehigh Valley.

The project, expected to cost at least $4.6 million, is an extensive trail system that would link South Whitehall with seven other municipalities – Allentown, and the townships of Whitehall, North Whitehall, Lowhill, Lynn, Weisenberg and Heidelberg. It aims to preserve open space, protect wildlife and provide outdoor recreational opportunities, such as birding, hiking, biking and nature photography.

Yost, Strodoski, Mears Landscape Architects were hired to 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.

The public’s ideas will help to establish financing priorities for making improvements to the park, according to township officials.