Feb 14, 2005 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – The projected July or August opening of the Dunbar Township Wal-Mart Supercenter will translate into road improvements being completed in the city this spring. The changes are required to ease anticipated congestion at the Route 119/201 and Crawford Avenue intersection when the new store opens its doors to customers and must be completed for Wal-Mart to obtain a highway occupancy permit, according to Brian Hart, state transportation district engineer. The permit allows access from the site onto Route 119.

“There are requirements that need to be done prior to the opening of Wal-Mart,” said Hart. “(The company) is permitted to proceed as far as they want on their property, but are not allowed to proceed within the (state right-of-way) until the (highway occupancy permit) is secured.”

Jeff Doss, Wal-Mart real estate manager said that design plans for the road improvements are being prepared for submission to the transportation department.

“It is not going to be a major project,” he said.

Doss added that work should begin sometime in April.

The city road improvements will include the widening of Crawford Avenue from the current nine feet to 11 feet in width. The increase will be facilitated with the removal of sidewalk at the Crawford Avenue entrance to the Wendy’s Restaurant.

Hart said that the improvements were outlined based on future traffic impact study projections.

Pointing to the Uniontown- and Mount Pleasant-based Wal-Mart stores already in operation, Hart said there might be an increase in traffic due to the “novelty” of a new location, but in time, the initial increase might subside.

However, he added, if the changes within the city boundaries do not accommodate additional vehicular traffic, the transportation department will consider other improvements.

“It is such a hard area to make improvements,” said Hart. “We hope (the scheduled improvements) will be what is also required in the long term.”

Hart added that as a condition of the highway occupancy permit, the company will have to conduct traffic impact studies one year after the store is operational. The information will then be reviewed by the transportation department to determine if other changes are necessary.

The estimates of vehicular traffic through the area has not been made public, said Hart. The numbers, however, do include expected traffic to Widewaters Commons now under construction.

In obtaining the highway occupancy permit for its project, Widewaters Development Group is required to install a traffic signal in the southbound direction of Route 119 at the entrance, a full access, non-signaled entrance along Route 201 and a right turn entrance and exit into and out of the site from Route 201 along with a right turn lane onto Route 201 from the strip mall entrance along the southbound corridor of Route 119.

At its entrance, Wal-Mart, said Hart will be required to make “major improvements.”

The entrance will require the installation of a traffic signal, right turn lane for southbound traffic and re-striping the center left turn lane in the northbound lane of travel.

Doss, meanwhile, said construction at the township location is progressing on schedule. The 155,000-square-foot discount and grocery store is expected to employ upwards of 300 workers.

Permits have also been obtained for a fueling station, however, Doss anticipates its construction at a later time.

While other local Wal-Mart stores are located within a strip mall, the township location will be freestanding.

Doss said that a two-acre out parcel situated at the store entrance is under an option to buy lease agreement, but he declined to divulge the lease holder.

“I don’t know whether it will be a food restaurant or small shops,” he said. “That will be up to the developer.”

According to the company Web site, Wal-Mart has 60 supercenters, 49 discount stores, 21 SAM’s CLUBS and 4 distribution centers located within the state.