Stan King stands, who lives near the intersection of Route 8 and Airport Road in Penn Township, says he has seen several serious accidents at the intersection in the three months he has lived there. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

A well-known Realtor was killed in June and a young couple suffered injuries three years ago that will follow them throughout their lives, but Penn Township supervisors have been trying for years to improve the deadly intersection at Route 8 and Airport Road.

“It is our first priority, and we are making moves to make a correction,” said supervisors chairman Sam Ward. “There have been multiple accidents there. I was in one 10 to 15 years ago.”

He said township officials have applied for grants for several years to add traffic lights with turning arrows and additional signage at the intersection in an effort to improve safety.

All have been turned down.

Linda Zerfoss, township manager, said she has secured letters of support from the county commissioners, Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st, the Audubon Society at Succop Nature Park, the pastor at Nixon United Methodist Church, and the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport for the Automated Red Light Enforcement grant she applied for in July.

“With all that support, maybe we’ll have a chance,” Zerfoss said.

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