Planned Morganza Road intersection improvements to be shown
Getting through the Morganza Road intersection with Cavasina Drive and Weavertown Road that straddles the border of Canonsburg and North Strabane Township is nothing short of a challenge.
The state Department of Transportation came up with a plan that will be displayed later this month to alleviate some of the congestion at the heavily traveled intersection.
Plans call for modification of the three legs of the intersection as well as adjusting the signal timing. Right-turn lanes will be added to Weavertown and Cavasina. Left turns onto Bobby Vinton Boulevard from Morganza would be eliminated with the existing left-turn lane reversed to increase the vehicle capacity of the existing left-turn lane from Morganza to Weavertown.
The project will also include pedestrian improvements, including Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps and signal push buttons at all four legs. A crosswalk will also be re-established on the eastern leg of Morganza where crossing is currently prohibited.
Canonsburg police Chief Al Coghill said the intersection is “just horrible.”
“You can only get two or three vehicles making a left turn from Weavertown into the borough during one green light,” Coghill said. “It makes for a horrible backup, especially at rush hour.”
“And Cavasina backs up when drivers cut through to avoid traffic backed up on Morganza,” he added.
Coghill would prefer seeing the left turn from Bobby Vinton to Morganza eliminated as opposed to the left from Morganza to Bobby Vinton.
“I don’t think the left-turn lane on Morganza at Cavasina could support the traffic,” he added. “We have had a lot of accidents with drivers making the left from Bobby Vinton onto Morganza.”
The plans will be displayed from 5 to 6 p.m. March 30 at the North Strabane Township Building, 1929 Route 519. Public comments can be made at the meeting or sent to William Oshnack, PennDOT project manager, at PennDOT District 12,-0, 825 N. Gallatin Ave., Extension, P.O. Box 459, Uniontown, PA 15401-0459 or email him at woshnack@pa.gov.