Start of Lock Haven’s pedestrian mall pushed back a week

LOCK HAVEN, PA – The barricades are close by and ready to go, but the City of Lock Haven has to postpone by one week the planned 2021 launch of its Main Street Pedestrian Mall.

City officials and Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. had hoped the mall could be put in use on Friday and Saturday this week, but because, as of Tuesday, final outside approvals had not been received, those in charge decided to push back the opening until Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15.

Clinton County commissioner Angela Harding, in her position as president of the Downtown Lock Haven board of directors, said the process to get PennDOT concurrence with temporary closure of E. Main Street (state Route 150) began about eight weeks ago. She said information was provided PennDOT but the city was informed that the Federal Highway Administration is part of the process this year as the FHWA has oversight over the highway.

Harding said PennDOT has given its approval and forwarded the application to the FHWA and the locals are now awaiting that okay. She said there were no guarantees that those approvals would be granted, but “We are confident that we will get the nod and we hope that it comes in time to close the street for the weekend of the 14th.”

She said DLH, Inc. is communicating the anticipated one week delay to downtown businesses, noting that “Even if we get the nod for this weekend, we would be doing a disservice to the businesses and community as they would not have time to prepare.”

The Main Street pedestrian walkway will run from Jay to Vesper streets and will be closed to vehicles and open to foot traffic from Fridays at 3 p.m. through Saturdays at 10 p.m. with restaurants and retailers moving out onto the sidewalks and streets. The pedestrian mall, once it starts, is scheduled each weekend during May and September, and every second and fourth weekend during June, July and August