Some residents living along a lane intersecting Route 30 in North Huntingdon want a sensor installed on a pole to detect oncoming traffic on the busy highway to make it safer for drivers to avoid an accident.
Commissioner Eric Gass said residents are requesting a study of the Cherry Lane intersection. A group of about 15 Cherry Lane residents signed a petition suggesting a signalling device, known as an intersection conflict warning system, be installed to detect the Route 30 traffic nearing the intersection. The signal would turn red for motorists traveling from Cherry Lane to warn them of the oncoming traffic but not slow the Route 30 traffic.
Township officials said they had discussions with PennDOT about that intersection, which is not in line with an intersection opening onto the westbound lanes.
Mike Turley, assistant township manager, acknowledged during a recent commissioners meeting there is a problem with the intersection because motorists wanting to cross the eastbound lanes to travel westbound have their view blocked by a hill. The view of vehicles traveling eastbound toward the intersection might be hindered by a dip in the highway, Turley said.
Tim Brough, owner of the Meineke Car Care Center at the corner of Cherry Lane and Route 30, agreed that it can be a dangerous turn for motorists on Cherry Lane. Motorists crossing the eastbound lanes to get to the westbound lanes do not see oncoming traffic until the vehicles are less than 400 feet away, Brough said.
John Morgan, owner of Westmoreland Affordable Plumbing on Cherry Lane, said that stretch of Route 30 is dangerous enough that “you usually see one accident a month” in that stretch of the road.
Morgan said some of the problems would be alleviated if PennDOT created a turning lane, because westbound vehicles stopped to turn onto Cherry Lane, are vulnerable to traffic traveling fast in the passing lane coming over the hill and having to stop or move over to the other lane.
But, Turley said there are problems with many of the intersections along Route 30.
A flashing traffic signal was placed at the Cherry Lane intersection for vehicles traveling from the former New England Motor Freight terminal along the westbound lanes, but it does not stop traffic when a vehicle from Cherry Lanes reaches the intersection.
Jeff Silka, township manager, said they are aware of the problem, but it does not make sense to spend money on a remedy that could cost at least $100,000, when PennDOT is planning to place concrete jersey barriers along that section of Route 30 in its modernization of the highway, from Irwin to the Allegheny County border. That second phase of the project, however, might not begin until 2025.
“They are going to put a barrier there and it all will be a moot point,” Turley said. “There’s really not much we can do right now. We have to let it play out.”
Silka said he would present a report on the issues to the commissioners.
Complicating the matter of taking any highway safety action at the intersection is that Cherry Lane has a low volume of traffic. It is a dead-end street with about 20 residences.
PennDOT’s Uniontown office has not received a request from the township for any signalling at that intersection.
“Before any safety improvements can be discussed, a study would first need to be conducted. If the township wants a study done, they would need to send a written request to our district office,” said Jay Ofsanik, a PennDOT spokesman at the Uniontown office.
A less expensive alternative would be to place a “no left turn” sign at the Cherry Lane intersection with Route 30, Commissioner Jason Atwood suggested.
But, Silka said the township cannot restrict traffic driving onto a state highway, without state approval. That issue would have to be raised with PennDOT, Silka said.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joe at 724-836-5252, jnapsha@triblive.com or via Twitter .
"device" - Google News
May 25, 2021 at 10:30PM
https://ift.tt/3ukRCgL
Traffic control device for Route 30 intersection in North Huntingdon likely a moot point - TribLIVE
"device" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2KSbrrl
https://ift.tt/2YsSbsy
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Traffic control device for Route 30 intersection in North Huntingdon likely a moot point - TribLIVE"
Post a Comment