Butler Township warns drivers of intersection closure
BUTLER TWP — Traffic will start to be affected at the intersection of Whitestown Road, Hansen Avenue and Armco Drive starting April 1, when contractors begin work revamping it into a crossway intersection.
Butler Township hosted a meeting Wednesday evening, March 20, where township manager Tom Knights relayed information about the $3.39 million project. He said the township sent letters to addresses in the Lyndora area, which will be most affected by the project.
Butler Township commissioners awarded a $3.39 million road construction project to Frank J. Zottola Construction on Jan. 15, to realign the intersection of Hansen Avenue, Armco Drive and Whitestown Road.
The township received a $1.4 million Commonwealth Financing Authority grant, and all of it will go toward the construction project. Traffic at the intersection will be affected during construction, but the intersection will remain open.
Knights said Wednesday the project will take several months to complete, but the end result is intended to cut down on vehicle crashes and add right-angled turns to the intersection. The project also will add a direct entrance to Hollywood Drive, where there will be a new intersection controlled by stop signs.
“It’s going to be pretty congested on this Whitestown intersection for about a two-and-a-half- to three-month time period,” Knights said. “I’m already expecting some real head-scratchers.
“We’ll have to deal with them as they come up.”
The Butler Township Municipal Building was filled with people Wednesday, some of whom were concerned about how their commutes will be affected by the closing of roads.
Among the top concerns for the construction period was that drivers heading west on Whitestown Road will back up traffic by having to turn left onto Chesapeake Road. People at the meeting Wednesday pointed out the situation already creates congestion.
Knights said it’s “very possible traffic will back up.”
Knights said despite the inconvenience, the new intersection could cut down on crashes. He added that he traverses the intersection to get to and from work.
“I see near-misses, near-collisions — we can’t get this project done fast enough,” Knights said.
The project also makes a portion of Hansen Avenue Extension a dead-end.
Knights said the construction will occur 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and there will be no night construction.
