DALLAS — Besecker Realty’s storefront on Main Street in Dallas is sporting a new look.

Sheets of plywood cover windows that previously looked out over the five-legged intersection of Route 415, Machell Avenue, Main, Church and Lake streets and, until recently, gave away to views of the ongoing roundabout construction.

Black spray-painted letters spelling the word “OPEN” are sprawled across the wood.

The appearance of the business may give those passing by the thought the damaged windows are a result of road crews working on aligning Main Street to the planned roundabout in the center of Dallas.

However, that is not the case.

“In May, a tractor-trailer mistakenly came down Main Street,” Besecker said.

At that time, Main Street traffic could only turn right from Main Street on to Route 415.

Detours on Route 309 near Offset Paperback Manufacturers Inc. in Dallas directed tractor trailers 33 feet or longer through a 37-mile detour that took them from Route 309 to Route 29 South to Route 118.

The truck driver said his navigation device directed him up Main Street from the Route 309 intersection near Luzerne National Bank, Besecker said.

The truck was too long to make the sharp right turn on to Route 415. Its trailer hit a construction sign on the sidewalk in front of the business and dragged it into the front windows, shattering them, he said.

“I watched the whole thing from right here,” Besecker said, motioning to a spot behind his front counter.

The truck driver was from Missouri and not familiar with the roads.

The Back Mountain realtor has new glass windows ready to install but is waiting for the Main Street construction to be completed.

Roundabout update

A section of Main Street that connects to the five-legged intersection will remain closed until Aug. 8, weather pending, James May, the spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said in an email July 18. Main Street businesses such as Fino’s Pharmacy, Besecker Realty, Embellish, Verve Vertu, Dallas Tap and Grille, Sue Hand’s Imagery and Dallas Centre Hardware are open during this process. Sidewalks permit patrons access to the shops.

Construction crews are adding curbing, stormwater drainage, sidewalks while aligning Main Street to the planned roundabout.

Main Street’s work “is actually a bit ahead of schedule,” May said.

Once Main Street is finished, the next scheduled road closing will be Machell Avenue.

The closure will allow crews to work a section from Fino’s Pharmacy at 3 Main Street to Domino’s Pizza, 2834 Route 415 in Dallas, he said.

“It will be closed for a little over a month,” May said, adding overall the roundabout construction is ahead of schedule.

The roundabout’s completion is slated for 2019.

Robert Besecker, owner of Besecker Realty in Dallas, stands next to sheets of particle board that cover broken windows of his Main Street business.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_20180703_113710-1.jpg.optimal.jpgRobert Besecker, owner of Besecker Realty in Dallas, stands next to sheets of particle board that cover broken windows of his Main Street business. Eileen Godin | Dallas Post

A section of Main Street in Dallas will remain closed until Aug. 8, according to PennDOT spokesperson James May.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_20180703_115846-1.jpg.optimal.jpgA section of Main Street in Dallas will remain closed until Aug. 8, according to PennDOT spokesperson James May. Eileen Godin | Dallas Post

By Eileen Godin

egodin@timesleader.com

Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.