W. Penn gets cost estimate to make intersection safer

West Penn Township continues in its quest to make the intersection at Blue Mountain Drive and Route 309 safer for motorists.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti explained at last week’s board of supervisors meeting what he believes needs to be done in order to achieve that.

“I would like to make that intersection safer than it is today,” Prudenti said. “My recommendation is that we go ahead with trying to square up the side of that intersection (almost) making it a safety lane without actually designating it as a safety lane.”

Supervisor Tim Houser said they also have to correct the water drainage problem.

Township police Chief Brian Johnson said it’s not always about the trucks, but also the cars that travel.

Supervisor Ted Bogosh said he believes draining the water and fixing the shoulder is the best way to go.

As far as redoing Blue Mountain Drive, supervisors suggested a cost estimate be put together.

Contacted this morning, Prudenti said the township just received a cost estimate from its roadmaster that came in at a little less than $10,000, adding that they thought it was going to cost a little bit more.

“To try to make the intersection a little bit safer, we’re going to end up widening the shoulder on the north side of Blue Mountain Drive,” he said. “Any truck coming out of Blue Mountain Drive, at least there would be an area on the north side of Blue Mountain Drive that you could still drive onto to get off Route 309.”

That decision comes after the board in July agreed to inquire about the cost to widen Blue Mountain Drive to four lanes to address truck traffic, and at that time, agreed to have the township engineer obtain price estimates to potentially widen the highway.

That came after Bogosh — who in the fall suggested widening Blue Mountain Drive and making it three lanes — addressed the problems at Blue Mountain Drive and Route 309.

Bogosh said residents have complained about when vehicles turn off 309 onto Blue Mountain Drive, but are held up on 309 as they wait for trucks to exit south onto 309 because they take up the entire road in order to make the turn.

He then suggested widening Blue Mountain Drive to four lanes for a 100-foot length along 309 to the north side of Blue Mountain Drive (the downhill side), and crosshatch the existing two lanes to allow for trailer swings.

Bogosh said that would also leave a lane open to traffic that enters Blue Mountain Drive, and added that the property owner agreed to the land acquisition in the interest of safety.

In addition, he said the state Department of Transportation would also need to create a left-turn lane on northbound 309 to reduce the possibility of rear-end collisions, which could be done by making the southbound 309 a single lane with no passing until after Blue Mountain Drive.

Bogosh said he’d like to be proactive, “rather than wait for accidents to occur.”

Houser said regardless of the outcome, the board would need to get approval from PennDOT since 309 is a state road.