Praise given for road project
After more than a half century, the Torchlight intersection on Route 40 in Menallen Township is finally getting done.
In 1950, PennDOT decided that the intersection of Canistra and Dearth Road with Route 40 was too dangerous for modern vehicles. They thought the line of sight problem would be solved by cutting away the obstructing hill, allowing the roadbed to be lowered. Obviously this was never done.
Forty years later and a few years after I took office, a group of citizens approached me about the township correcting this dangerous problem that still existed. My advice then was that they should get a petition signed by local users of the intersection. I then would take it to PennDOT to see if we could do some kind of joint project to get the problem solved.
After being frustrated by PennDOT many times for a number of years, a solution finally presented itself. Former County Commissioner Vince Vicites suggested that the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission or SPC as our answer. This powerful planning organization prioritizes and makes recommendations to PennDOT for all the transportation projects in Southwest Pennsylvania.
Commissioner Vicites recognized our problem and placed us on the TIP, which stands for Transportation Improvement Program. After a few years of no forward movement on their list, we went back to the Commissioner who then fought successfully to move the project forward on the SPC TIP program. This was no easy task because some influential members on the commission from Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties actually wanted to pass over us while promoting their own projects.
Shortly after Vicites interceded on our behalf, PennDOT picked up the project and the design and environmental studies started. This process soon became frustrating to us because we thought it was taking too long. The design options that PennDOT was presenting did not satisfy us supervisors.
They were leaning toward a less expensive option and we of course wanted a much better and safer option. Again we turned to Commissioner Vicites and state Sen. Rich Kasunic (D-Dunbar) for help. Shortly thereafter, the decision to go with the safer but more expensive project was made by the PennDOT District 12 Engineer. The construction is now underway and will be completed in less than a year. Upon completion, at least this part of Route 40 will be safer for all who must travel it.
I want to thank everyone involved in this long drawn out process. Everyone from the patient citizens of Menallen Township to PennDOT District 12 Engineer Joe Szczur for his insight, to former Senator Kasunic and most of all, Vince Vicites whose steady leadership made it all possible.
Joseph Petrucci is a Menallen Township supervisor.