New traffic signal turned on at Airport Road
After nearly two years of work, the long-awaited traffic signal at the intersection of Route 8 and Airport Road is operational.
PennDOT and M&B Services, the contractor in charge of construction, were at the intersection on Tuesday, March 11, to test and inspect the new traffic signal, which has been under construction for three months.
“The traffic lights were enabled and the old traffic light system is gone,” said township Supervisor Samuel Ward. “PennDOT tested and inspected the traffic light equipment and sign installation this morning. We had a Penn Township police officer and a Penn Township (Volunteer) Fire Department representative there participating.”
The intersection was previously a hot spot for accidents, some fatal, caused by people speeding through the intersection.
Construction began in earnest on the new traffic signal in December 2024 after delays in procuring materials.
Funding for the project was provided by a $450,000 grant from PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement Grant program, which the township received in 2022, along with a $50,000 Local Use Grant from Butler County in 2024.
According to Ward, M&B Services will return to the intersection later this month to install concrete ramps for handicapped pedestrians, pavement lines and the push-button at the crosswalk. As of Tuesday afternoon, the pedestrian indicator was covered with a burlap bag.
A license plate reader camera is also being installed at the intersection, which can capture license plate information from passing cars and forward the information to police departments.
PennDOT will return to the intersection in a month’s time to perform a final inspection.
