Orange County
WAYNESBURG – Drivers in Greene County will face continuous road construction for at least the next several months, as PennDOT works to improve state roads and replace several bridges. PennDOT is conducting nearly $12 million worth of construction projects in the county, in addition to its routine maintenance work.
Major projects include widening, resurfacing and upgrading traffic signals on Route 21 between Route 19 and Kiwi Road and at the Route 21/Route 19 intersection in Franklin Township, and improvements to Route 21 between Route 2017 and Junction Deli in Cumberland Township.
“People need to be aware of when roads are restricted to one lane,” said PennDOT safety press officer Jay Ofsanik. “Every effort is being made to keep roads open.”
The construction work is expected to last throughout the summer, with an Aug. 2 completion date estimated for the Franklin Township work and a Sept. 14 completion date expected for the Cumberland Township work.
The $1.3 million improvements to Route 21 in Cumberland Township include pavement replacement, drainage, structure painting and guide rail improvements.
Traffic will be restricted to a single lane and back-ups are expected.
The $2.5 million projects in Franklin Township were initiated due to a decision to bring traffic through the region in the event of a closure on Interstate 79.
“If we have any closures on 79, that area was picked as an area to get traffic off 79 and onto 21,” Ofsanik said.
The areas on Route 21 were also chosen for improvements after surveys revealed a need for upgrades, which will include traffic signals at the entrance and exit ramps for Interstate 79.
“The area needed updated,” Ofsanik said. “If the area now warrants a traffic signal, we put them in. Once we start to improve an area, we look at all issues.”
The new traffic signals will become active once road construction is complete, and they will operate on “flash mode” for roughly one week before becoming fully active.
The concurrent development of the Wal-Mart site along Route 21 did not play any part in the decision to upgrade parts of the state route, Ofsanik said.
“That wasn’t the main reason,” he said. “But it will be an extra benefit for the developer.”
Long-term benefits for county drivers may be difficult to visualize at this point, but Ofsanik advises them to always be cautious when approaching construction areas.
“Be aware of the fact that work zones can change from day to day,” he said. “Drivers just can’t assume the traffic pattern will be the same as yesterday. So be aware, slow down and watch out for workers and flagmen.”
Other county-wide construction projects include:
n A $579,000 bridge rehabilitation project in Lippincott, Morgan Township; a detour will be in place.
n A $494,000 bridge preservation project on Route 1011, Chartiers.
n A $2.4 million bridge replacement project on Route 18, Washington Township; detours may be needed.
n A $2.4 million bridge replacement project on Route 18, Morris Township; detours may be needed.
n A $1.9 million bridge replacement project on Route 19, Perry Township; detours are scheduled to go into effect Tuesday. Cars will be detoured from Route 19 to Interstate 79 North to the Kirby exit, and from Route 19 to Interstate 79 South to the Mt. Morris exit. Trucks will be detoured to Interstate 79 North to the Waynesburg exit, to Route 21 West and to Route 19, and to Route 21 East, to Interstate 79 South to the Mt. Morris exit and to Route 19.