Construction crews recently broke ground on a project to improve the intersection of Routes 26 and 45 in Ferguson Township.
Dylan Huberman spoke with officials to hear just how vital this project is to the area.
The intersection in Ferguson Township has long been an issue, according to police, causing a bunch of wrecks over the last decade.
“So over the last 10 years we’ve had 34 crashes (there), 19 of those in the last 5 years.”
Fortunately, Sergeant Ryan Hendrick says nobody has lost their life at that intersection, but he can’t say the same for their vehicles.
“Luckily, we’ve had no fatalities but most of the crashes there do result in serious injuries and obviously pretty substantial damage to the vehicles.”
And he pinpointed a few issues he believes are to blame for most of those crashes.
“Most of the time, it’s from a line of sight issue and a speed issue where people they look left, look right and the next time they look left, it’s just too late. Some of it is a poor design that is being rectified.”
Penndot provided a statement on the project saying quote
“The SR 26/SR 45 intersection in Ferguson Township was identified as a safety concern over 6 years ago. Crash data was included in those discussions. An alternatives study was conducted to determine viable intersection improvement alternatives that would improve safety and maintain functionality…After reviewing the final alternatives analysis report, collecting public feedback, and performing a cost-benefit analysis of the alternatives, PennDOT recommended (and Ferguson Township concurred) the design and construction of a signalized intersection with realignment of SR 45.”
Sergeant Hendrick provided specific details.
“So, they’re making it more into a 90-degree angle so everyone will have a good line of sight, and most importantly, it’s going to be controlled by a traffic signal. That traffic signal will not only reduce speeds when we need to reduce speeds but it actually should increase traffic flow.”
He says it should be done by the end of the year, and will be warmly received.
“We’re very excited that PennDOT worked with us on this. We expect it to not only improve traffic flow but also to reduce crashes.”
Sgt. Hendrick also implored anyone driving through the area during the intersection to slow down to protect the workers and yourselves.
