Officials press for Route 21 upgrade
The South Union Township supervisors are feeling like tour guides lately, showing one government official after another the ongoing development along Mattthew Drive and inside the Fayette County Business Park, totaling nearly $100 million. They are banking on support from all levels of government to help with roadway improvements they say are necessary to keep up with the growth.
In the past three weeks, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown), Gov. Edward G. Rendell and Gary Hoffman, deputy state transportation secretary, have all been driven through the park, then along Matthew Drive and over to Walnut Hill Road – three areas where projects are planned or underway.
The supervisors have dubbed the area – from Route 40 from the Route 119 interchange to Fan Hollow Road and Route 21 from Route 40 to Dixon Boulevard – the South Union Business Corridor.
Supervisor Robert Schiffbauer said that corridor is responsible for approximately 5,350 jobs to date, and another 1,350 jobs are projected for that area within the next few years.
“Seven thousand jobs and $100 million is nothing to sneeze at,” he said. “Every piece of property in this area becomes a piece that can be successfully developed.”
A $2.5 million improvement project along Route 40 is complete, along with improvements to Matthew Drive from the Widewaters Development Group property to New Salem Road. The supervisors have already received $1.2 million for the $4 million Matthew Drive upgrade from Route 21 to just beyond the Super KMart Center.
The key project, Schiffbauer said, is using $1.6 million in federal highway appropriations for improvements to Route 21 from the rear entrance to Uniontown Mall through the Cherry Tree area.
“The intersections through there are the busiest in Fayette County,” he said. “Something has to be done there.”
The supervisors are hoping that the Route 21 project will be listed on the state Transportation Improvement Program, which Schiffbauer said would virtually guarantee the project’s full funding.
“We have a lot of the pieces in place, but the section of Route 21 is a very important part,” he said. “Everything we’ve heard from everyone has been very positive and every indication we’ve gotten is that the Congressman is going to take a very close look at this.”
Schiffbauer estimated that widening Route 21 by several lanes and improving ramps and access in that area could cost as much as $20 million.
“Doing that project is critical because of the bottlenecks through there, and they need to be addressed as soon as possible,” he said. “We need adequate highways to accommodate the traffic.”
Other roadway projects in the works in and near the development sites include a $4 million upgrade to New Salem Road in 2007, and a $3.5 million connector to the business park at Fan Hollow Road from the Mon-Fayette Expressway in 2006-07.
Supervisor Tom Frankhouser said the spirit of cooperation that had been lacking for so many years between the township and PennDOT is alive, which is a main reason for the increased development.
“It’s enlightening to see PennDOT calling us to set up meetings,” he said. “We can all see the benefits of working together. We’ve never had the opportunity to have PennDOT work with us on a project, until now.”
The supervisors said developing infrastructure decades ago is paying off in more ways than they had imagined, having a bird’s eye view of the transformation of the area into a “regional shopping hub,” as Schiffbauer often calls it.
“These opportunities don’t often occur in Fayette County and this is a giant opportunity for us,” he said. “But this doesn’t just benefit South Union Township, it benefits the whole area. It’s becoming a destination.”
Excavation work on a 155,000 square foot Target store is wrapping up, and construction should begin early next week, the supervisors said. The store could open in July.
Work is expected to begin later this year or early in 2006 on a new 212,000 square foot Wal-Mart Supercenter in the business park.
Meanwhile, the supervisors said several potential new additions to the development sites include Applebee’s, Chili’s, and possibly Olive Garden. Schiffbauer said officials from the company that operates Olive Garden restaurants will be in the area sometime in October.
Best Buy, Kohl’s, and PetSmart are also rumored to be locating stores in the area, but none have officially confirmed.
An $8 million to $10 million retail project along Route 40 is also planned, and supervisors said they are in discussions with PennDOT about another traffic light, possibly at the second access point to Mount St. Macrina.