Mar 28, 2014 2 min read

Eckles Architecture has begun studying the feasibility of an addition to South Fayette High School. David Esposito and Cassandra Renninger of the New Castle-based firm updated the board at a workshop meeting last week.

Last month, the board approved Eckles to conduct a $15,000 feasibility study. The fee would be credited to the project once it is started. South Fayette High School was designed to house about 800 students and projections show there will be 805 students there by 2015. Demographer Dr. Shelby Stewman projected a growth rate of between 13 and 16 percent at the school by 2020.

Renninger suggested the district update its traffic study, because the state Department of Transportation only recognizes such studies for three years and it has been longer than that since a study has been done.

Esposito said additional students in the school “may put traffic pressure on Battle Ridge Road.” He said one thing the study may determine is whether a light and turning lane should be placed at the intersection.

Renninger said Eckles received a proposal from Trans Associates Engineering to conduct the study for $12,650.

Renninger added that a traffic study from 2011 stated that a turning lane on Battle Ridge Road was warranted at that time, but not implemented. She said to help keep expenses down, rather than focusing on the existing road, an option may be to install a second entrance to the high school.

“The cost may be less than any improvements on Battle Ridge,” Renninger said.

School board President Leonard Fornella said $12,000 seemed expensive to update a three-year-old traffic study. Renninger said she would solicit proposals from other companies. She added that the study would need to be done again because the new intermediate school did not exist at the time of the previous study.