Lewisburg Borough Seeks Sealed Bids for South Eighth Street Roundabout

Lewisburg Borough has opened sealed bidding for Contract 2026-01, the construction of a roundabout at South Eighth Street and White Pine Alley, with a submission deadline of 2:00 p.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, according to the borough public notice. The notice names the work specifically as a roundabout (RAB) at the South Eighth/White Pine Alley intersection.

Separately, municipal meeting materials and grant documentation identify a CDBG-funded South Eighth Street/White Pine Alley "Removal of Architectural Barriers Project" backed by $160,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. That project description states, "A steep drop-off exists in the sidewalk along the alley, making it inaccessible," and that the work would "create a continuous, accessible sidewalk for pedestrians and people using mobility devices." Officials also said the borough intended to install infrastructure to manage stormwater and close the alley by connecting the sidewalk.

The two project labels, the Contract 2026-01 roundabout notice and the DCED-funded Removal of Architectural Barriers Project, appear in borough materials covering the same South Eighth/White Pine Alley location but are not explicitly linked in the available documents. The public record does not state whether the sealed-bid roundabout contract is the same procurement as the CDBG-funded accessibility work, leaving the relationship between the roundabout scope and the $160,000 grant unclear.

Residents of South Seventh, South Eighth and Market streets mobilized after reports that White Pine Alley could be made a dead end, saying the change would affect daily routes for approximately 130 residents and Bucknell University students. Residents told borough leaders they were not sufficiently consulted, and they raised safety concerns about potential changes to traffic patterns and emergency vehicle access.

At a recent Planning and Public Works Committee meeting, the committee directed engineer PennCore Consulting to continue with design plans that keep White Pine Alley open. Borough Manager Bill Lowthert said, "If they approve it, they will give permission to release the project for bid," and added, "Because the committee was just directing the engineer, it does not need to go back in front of the borough council for approval." Lowthert also said, "Lowthert expects the engineer's final design will come back to the committee in December for approval, followed by the council members considering the final design plans at their December public meeting." He noted, "The committee was unanimous. There was no debate or contention."

Lewisburg Borough's agenda packet shows White Pine Alley listed among streets proposed for the borough's 2025 Streets Project, specifically White Pine Alley from 7th Street to 8th Street for mill/overlay, and includes other action items: HARB approvals for a sign at 302 Market Street and for windows/doors/siding at 206 North Fifth Street for property owner Rodney Yoder; motions accepting engineering and consulting proposals for Colliers Engineering & Design ($29,760) and Livic Civil ($86,500); a $2,475 contract for J.H. Williams & Co., LLC for 2025 quarterly tax filings; and a proposal from Buffalo Valley Door Service Inc. for an automatic gate operator for Wolfe Field priced at $4,770 or $5,535 with a solar kit.

With sealed bids due March 25, 2026, the borough's procurement timetable is now set even as design questions remain. Final confirmation of whether Contract 2026-01 is part of the $160,000 DCED CDBG accessibility project and whether PennCore's forthcoming design will include or omit a roundabout will hinge on the engineer's plans and any subsequent council action.