PennDOT planning intersection expansion project in Bethel Park
The state Department of Transportation is planning to add turn lanes to the intersection at South Park and Logan roads in a major expansion project in which some nearby residents are concerned about how it will impact their properties.
Officials from PennDOT’s District 11, during a Jan. 18 public meeting, explained that adding turn lanes on South Park Road is expected to ease congestion and make the intersection safer.
To expand the road, the state will have to acquire small sections of land from some properties, mainly on South Park Road.
“We’re not displacing anyone,” said Richard Yakupkovic, an engineer with PennDOT. “There might be some sliver of impacts on some properties, but we’re not displacing anyone.”
Most of the work will be within the right-of-way. The state, or municipality in the case of locally-owned roads, typically owns several feet beyond the paved road on either side of the street. In places where the roadwork will extend beyond the right-of-way, the state will negotiate with the property owner and pay for that land. Logan Road will be expanded as well, but just slightly.
“The widening on Logan will be minimal, just enough to bring it to modern standards,” project manager Alan Bailey said.
Plans call for adding 10-feet-wide turn lanes on South Park Road so that traffic on either side of the intersection may turn left onto Logan Road. The center turn lane will be long enough to accommodate about six cars.
The traffic signal will also be replaced and wheelchair accessible ramps will be installed.
The project also calls for drainage improvements and pavement markings, including a crosswalk.
The project is estimated at $2 million. Bailey expects that utility relocation will begin this year. PennDOT will solicit bids for the project toward the end of this year, with construction beginning in spring 2019 and expected to be completed by the fall of that year.
Traffic will not be detoured during construction. Instead, traffic might be reduced to one lane at times with flaggers on duty to direct vehicles through the intersection.
Space will be available for sidewalks, but PennDOT will not install them. Instead, the decision about whether to build sidewalks will be left to Bethel Park Council and the municipality would likely have to pay for it.
“We will have an area graded and reserved for sidewalks, if that’s something the community and the municipality would support,” Bailey said.
Several residents who attended the meeting pushed back on that idea since sidewalks would take up more space on their properties, would require property owners to maintain them and the proposed sidewalk would be short. A sidewalk could start on South Park Road near the Logan Road intersection and extend around the corner on Logan Road, stopping before the next side street.
A sidewalk of a few hundred feet probably isn’t worth the hassle, Councilman Jim McLean said. McLean added he would probably vote against a measure to add a sidewalk to this area.
“There’s really not much benefit for adding this little stretch of sidewalk,” he said.
Residents also expressed concerns about getting in and out of their driveways during and after construction. Some noted that maneuvering around can be difficult during periods of heavy traffic and they worry that expanding the intersection might make the problem worse.
Some suggested that more advanced traffic lights might alleviate congestion without having to expand the road.
PennDOT’s analysis of traffic studies conducted at that intersection indicated that turn lanes are needed on South Park Road. The intersection has an average daily traffic rate of 22,627 vehicles and several accidents have been reported in that area in recent years.