New signaling technology pitched to ease Route 19 congestion
New technology that coordinates traffic signals to traffic flow was pitched May 23 as a way to ease congestion on Route 19 in Washington County.
The system, Adaptive Signal Control Technology, was already installed on Route 22 between Monroeville and Delmont and is showing great successes in reducing traffic backups, said Joseph Szczur, a state Department of Transportation district executive.
“We can start setting the stage for that now,” Szczur said Monday during an open house in Courthouse Square in Washington on the next transportation improvement plan drafted by Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.
Washington County is expected to see $187.8 million spent between 2017-20 on 51 projects, most of which involve continued safety improvements to Interstate 70 and the replacement of small, aging bridges.
“There’s a lot of work on this,” said SPC planner Matt Pavlosky.
Szczur’s comments followed a suggestion from Peters Township Manager Michael A. Silvestri to fund a study to address congestion at Route 19 and McMurray Road, which becomes a bottleneck during rush hours.
Silvestri said there is a concern in Peters that the intersection will not be able to handle more traffic after the Southern Beltway opens in several years.
Szczur said the signalling system is much less costly than widening roads, especially in areas such as Peters Township where the setback distances between the road and businesses are narrow.
He said the technology is sophisticated to the point in which it learns over time when the traffic flows are at their highest and it adjusts itself to address changes.
The system was suggested by Szczur to begin at I-70 and Route 19 and continue through North and South Strabane townships into Peters Township.