Township working on dangerous intersection
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.
But Ward and Zerfoss no longer are satisfied with waiting for grants to improve the intersection.
He and Zerfoss said the township could use American Rescue Plan Act funds, money set aside for infrastructure projects, and some traffic impact funds, plus borrow money, to improve the intersection.
Zerfoss said the work would cost a minimum of $500,000.
“It’s a dangerous intersection,” she said. “It’s been the site of numerous accidents. Some are fatal and some not so bad, but an accident is an accident.”
Ward said the township engineer is preparing a request for proposals to hire a company that will prepare plans for the intersection, plus bid documents for a construction manager and contractors.
“We are probably not going to get a grant, so we need to do something not in anticipation of this grant,” he said.
Once the company is secured to do that work, the three supervisors would vote to advertise for bids and get the process started.
“My opinion is we need to take the first step and get this request for proposals, then take action,” Ward said. “(The intersection) is a top priority for us.”
Both Zerfoss and Ward said Penn Township Police monitor the intersection as often as possible and have written numerous tickets for red light violations and speeding, but only one officer is on duty per shift.
Stan King, whose family has lived on East Airport Road since May, said he uses the intersection up to 20 times per day.
“We have a policy of waiting three to four seconds to go through the light because all the vehicles are running it,” King said.
Since he moved to East Airport Road just a few months ago, King has seen six accidents there.
“Four were pretty serious,” he said. “It’s just getting to be ridiculous.”
He said in his opinion, township police should spend more time monitoring the intersection.
“It’s like it’s accepted to speed there,” King said.
He has observed the traffic at the intersection, and he said the problem is made worse by drivers talking on their phones as they fly north and south on Route 8.
King said he has seen many truckers on their phones as they go through the intersection.
“It’s very dangerous,” he said.
Ward said he has talked about getting red light cameras at the intersection that automatically would ticket those who run the red light.
The cameras also would delay the green light on Airport and East Airport roads for a few seconds after the light turns red on Route 8, but Ward was told those cameras are not approved for the type of intersection at Route 8 and Airport Road.
Ward said the main problem is people speeding through the red light and driving too fast.
“We’ve got to change the mindset of running the light,” he said. “The real problem is, everyone is in a hurry.”
