LEWISBURG, Pa. — There is a lot of construction happening right now in downtown Lewisburg as the borough's stream restoration project is underway.
Bull Run Creek has been known to flood, and officials are trying to make sure that does not happen anymore. Crews are currently widening the stream.
"That is the removal of old retaining walls and widening out the flood plain to restore the stream into what it may have originally been," said Steve Beattie, Lewisburg's community planner, and grants manager.
The $1.4 million project started in June and was paid for with grant money. Now, crews have begun the process of rerouting the stream.
"They had that old concrete wall that was crumbling, which was bad for the creek and kind of ugly, and a safety hazard. Taking that out is a good thing. I think they're adding some vegetation to the side of the creek; that's a really good thing," Ellen Chamberlin said.
"I like what they're doing, and it needs to be done because it can be really flooding at times, and it has been, so anything they can do to stop that is wonderful," Karen Roessler said.
The project is not just about stream restoration. The Buffalo Valley Rail Trail is being expanded an extra half-mile into Lewisburg.
One of the aspects of the project is to put in a nature play area for children.
"A lot of natural materials, stumps and rocks, an edible garden, and natural materials for kids to explore in," Beattie said.
The project is expected to wrap up next spring.