South Whitehall Police to Help with 'Tough Mudder'

The South Whitehall Police Department will assist Upper Macungie police with traffic control and other matters as this weekend's Tough Mudder event draws more than 22,000 people to Raven Valley Farm near North Whitehall.

In Upper Macungie, where most of the traffic for the event will funnel through, supervisors are requiring that organizers set up a $100,000 escrow account for the event, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

The initial satellite parking area is on land owned by Jaindl Land Co., behind the Weis Markets in Fogelsville, south of Moyer Road and west of Nursery Street.

A second satellite parking area is now planned at the Schnecksville Fire Company, off Route 309 in North Whitehall.

Participants will be transported to and from Raven Valley Farm via shuttle bus.

More than 22,000 people are scheduled to participate during the two-day period and 7,000 additional cars per day are expected to traverse Upper Macungie roads.

Upper Macungie Supervisors also passed motions allowing the township to enter into a mutual aid agreement with the South Whitehall Township Police Department for the weekend and desginated several roads, including Moyer Road and Nursery Street, as temporary no parking zones.

Supervisor chairman Edward Earley noted that Moyer Road and Nursery Street weren't built to take the abuse from the expected amount of traffic and said the township will be monitoring if either of the roads incur damage.

"[The escrow account] makes us feel protected," Earley said.

Supervisor Sam Ashmar said the opening of the escrow account was needed so the township wouldn't have to chase unpaid expenses.

"The township was brought in at the last minute and we want to have a comfort level that we're not holding the bag with expenses," he said.

David Jaindl, president of Jaindl Farms in North Whitehall and Jaindl Land Company, leased 400 acres in Heidelberg and Lynn townships for the Tough Mudder challenge.

Jaindl and Andy Fist, general manager of Tough Mudder, Inc., assured supervisors that there will be porta-johns, trash receptacles, a first-aid post and sufficient lighting at the Fogelsville parking area.

Jaindl assured supervisors that the parking area would be cleaned each night.

Supervisors said the biggest expense associated with the Upper Macungie satellite parking plan and associated traffic appears to be police.

Upper Macungie Police Chief Edgardo Colon said 17 additional officers per shift will be assigned to the detail.

"For these type of events, we usually get a lot of advance notice," Colon said. "There are a lot of concerns about congestion and traffic. We're committing the extra police and I foresee no major issues."

Tough Mudder challenges consist of 10-plus-mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.