Planning for Interstate 79 didn't envision the scope of traffic challenges that would inundate the Cranberry Township-Zelienople area in the decades following the highway's construction.

That's why the Cranberry Connector project had to be built, following years of traffic congestion and frustration. And, that's why construction of what have been dubbed as the "missing ramps" is now on the horizon in the Zelienople area.

Not only will the two new ramps aid in traffic movement, but they will provide important, quick access for emergency vehicles.

Everyone who has had a hand in keeping the project in the "go" stage, despite the state's and nation's emphasis on deficient bridges, merits praise for remaining focused on the project's importance.

No doubt the close proximity of the Seneca Valley School District secondary campus and the emergency considerations tied to that campus were key elements speaking on behalf of the ramps' construction. But a similar consideration exists regarding interstate traffic.

Unfortunately the project isn't going to get under way tomorrow; actual construction is about two years away. Mark Hillwig, a spokesman for District 10, state Department of Transportation, estimated that the project will take about two years to complete.

From an emergency services standpoint, four years seems like a long time to wait, but it's better than the uncertainty that had swirled around the needed ramps for decades.

Traffic is good for the health of a business district, but traffic impatient to get through Zelienople, with no intention of stopping, is only clogging up the business strip and discouraging others from stopping.

But it is the emergency services benefits of the project that remain paramount.

The missing-ramps project is a win-win undertaking amid the state's bridge emphasis. Officials should remain focused on it to ensure that it doesn't get off track.