PENN TWP — Long-awaited improvements to a dangerous intersection in Penn Township are one step closer to fruition.

Penn Township, along with local engineering consultants Trans Associates, are in the process of overhauling the decades-old traffic signals at the intersection of Route 8 and Airport Road, an intersection which has seen traffic accidents and fatalities over the years.

Earlier this month, preliminary drawings were sent to officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for a third review after addressing “some minor comments.”

Supervisor Chairman Sam Ward estimates that from the moment the township receives final approval from PennDOT, it will take roughly a year to finish the project, with the first two months dedicated to soliciting and sorting through bids.

The overhauled intersection will come with a bevy of safety features. These will include new traffic signals with turn arrows to guide northbound and southbound vehicles from Route 8 onto Airport or East Airport Road.