Municipal News
- Last Updated on Thursday, 09 May 2013 02:46
Peters Township Manager Michael Silvestri warned council members at their April 8 meeting to expect major traffic problems as a result of the long-awaited redesign project of the intersection of Valley Brook Road and Route 19, which is expected to begin on May 15.
The connection between the two roads will close on that day, and in early June the entire intersection, including the roadway beneath the bridge, will close.
He said that more than 11,000 motorists that use Valley Brook Road every day would have to find alternate routes. Concerning detoured traffic, Silvestri said, “McMurray Road is going to get the brunt of it.” That road has four schools, the police and fire departments, so “we think that’s going to be a problem,” he said.
Alternate routes that connect East McMurray Road to Route 19 include Center Church Road, Thompsonville Road and Hays Road, and those roads will undoubtedly see increased traffic. Some of the other short-cut routes that the township anticipates will include use of Rock Run Road from Georgetown Road, Fieldbrook and Marion Drives from East McMurray, Wilhaven Drive from Center Church and Hoover Lane from Thompsonville. Motorists traveling southbound on Route 19 will still be able to turn right down the ramp onto westbound Valley Brook Road, but they will not be able to turn left at the bottom to go east on Valley Brook.
Silvestri said that an impact plan devised by the township calls for adjusting traffic light signalization and installation of temporary stop signs and other measures in affected areas in an effort to control increased traffic. He said that the township will take a “wait and see” attitude when the closure occurs at to where these measures are needed. Police are also expected to have an increased presence in the affected areas.
A “kick-off” meeting with PennDot will take place on May 1 to coordinate detour information. Silvestri said township officials will attend along with the project’s contractor, and he will report the outcomes of that meeting to council.
An upside to the traffic problems anticipated by the construction project is that by the time it is in full swing, school should be out for the summer, lessening traffic. By the fall, drivers will most likely have settled in to alternative routes around the construction area. It is also noteworthy that close to where the intersection work will begin in June, plans are to coordinate the installation of a new Montour Trail bridge across Valley Brook Road, which will take advantage of the road closing.
The multimillion-dollar Valley Brook Road intersection redesign project is expected to take at least 18 months to complete. Peters Township’s share of the cost is $800,000 and was handed over to the state several years ago. There was some talk among council last year that if the delayed project did not begin soon, the township should consider asking the state for interest on their share of funds already given.
The delays were related to problems of land acquisition as well as a lawsuit from a company that owns a billboard on the site. The new intersection will be just north of the present one and will connect Route 19 to the end of Old Washington Road near Valley Brook Road.
