Morganza Road project plans detailed
PennDOT Morganza Road project manager Bill Oshnack points to where drivers would normally be able to turn left onto or out of Bobby Vinton Boulevard. A curb will be built to prevent left turns into and out of Cavasina Drive, forcing traffic to the intersection with Weavertown Road.
New traffic patterns show a dedicated left turn lane from Weavertown onto Morganza, with a 10-second left-turn lead green light planned to bleed off some of the queuing traffic.
Rush-hour traffic can force motorists to wait for about 15 minutes to turn left from Weavertown Road onto Morganza Road.
CANONSBURG – Motorists frustrated with long waits to turn left onto Morganza Road will have less of a headache by fall 2017 as state transportation officials laid out final plans Wednesday to help with the congested intersection.
The roughly $1.5 million project to widen lanes and give motorists a 10-second head start on left turns from Weavertown Road also would prevent left turns into and out of Bobby Vinton Boulevard from Morganza in an attempt to reduce accidents. The project is slated to bid out in September, according to PennDOT project manager Bill Oshnack.
“We’ve had an accident history in this area. It’s our aim to correct that; help with congestion as well as the air quality along Morganza,” Oshnack said.
Most of the feedback from the 20 people who attended the presentation at the municipal building in North Strabane was centered on the 10-second lead time for a dedicated left-turn lane on Weavertown. Some complained more time should be allotted, but PennDOT assistant district executive Rachel Duda said the time allotment is an optimized choice based on data, and that any further allowance would disrupt flow farther along either side of the Morganza intersection.
“The 10-second signal, it’s better than the simultaneous green signaling that happens at that intersection. That’s why you get hung up, everyone gets the green on both sides and then people drive illegally to meet or beat the light,” Oshnack said.
HDR Engineering representative Josh Kisling said the consultant firm’s traffic studies highlighted the best design choices.
“From that study we’ve re-timed the signals and we’re adding a left-turn lane (from Weavertown) that’s adding a 10-second lead time (dedicated left green signal) that allows people to turn left with a head start,” Kisling said,” But the particularly concerning points were turning movements into Bobby Vinton Boulevard. There we’re building a six-inch high mountable median that will prevent left turns out of Bobby Vinton and into it, forcing you to come down to the intersection with Weavertown. And we’re adding a dedicated right-turn lane on Weavertown to Morganza, and a right lane from Cavasina onto Morganza.”
Kisling said the collective design of the dedicated lanes, forced turns down from Bobby Vinton Drive and the 10-second head start would bleed off a lot of traffic queuing on Weavertown from Route 19 and I-79.
“We’re hoping to have this project wrapped up by summer or fall 2017,” Oshnack said.
“There won’t be any detours but there will be lane restrictions,” Duda added, “and this will be all daytime work. It would be too loud at night.”