Kennett Twp. gets $2.19M for roundabout

KENNETT TOWNSHIP >> After years of debate, a third roundabout in Chester County will be constructed in Kennett Township after officials received more than $2.19 million from the state.

The funding from the state was made possible by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Gov. Tom Wolf, and is part of 43 multimodal projects across Pennsylvania.

Chester County was awarded funds for four projects with $2,193,550 to Kennett Township to fund a roundabout at ‘five points’ intersection.

“Addressing the traffic concerns

at the failing five points intersection has been a priority of this Board of Supervisors for several years,” said Kennett Township supervisors’ chairman Richard Leff.

The roundabout was first discussed at a supervisors meeting in 2017 after residents complained of backlogs there.

There are only three roundabouts in Chester County, one at Doe Run Road and Route 82, one near Pocopson Home off Route 52, and the latest at Strasburg Road at Romansville Road in West Bradford.

Roundabouts, according to PennDOT, offer improved safety over other forms of intersections and typically carry about 30 percent more vehicles than similarly sized intersections during peak travel times. Roundabouts also improve pedestrian safety by allowing pedestrians to cross a single lane of slow, one-way traffic at a time.

The Board of Supervisors authorized the application in November of 2020 noting several previously unsuccessful grant applications.

The project will install a roundabout at the intersection of South Union Street, Kaolin Road, Hillendale Road, and Old Kennett Road and will enhance the safety of the regions’ residents and commuters, reduce growing congestion, and increase traffic efficiency.

Supervisor Whitney Hoffman said that as the rural community of Kennett Township experiences growth and changes, investment in infrastructure upgrades remains a top priority.

“Investing in infrastructure is not always easy, but it is a crucial responsibility of locally elected officials” said Hoffman. “We appreciate the funding assistance

from the Commonwealth to improve this intersection that many people navigate on a daily basis.”

Supervisor Scudder Stevens said he was pleased that the roundabout will finally be constructed in the township.

“This is a critical project in the township that will improve the quality of life and travel for many” he said. “The township first began spearheading this project at least 5 years ago, and I look forward to its completion.”

Eden Ratliff, township manager, thanked PennDOT, and the township’s state elected officials, Sen. John Kane and

Rep. Craig Williams, for their assistance in getting this project funded. Ratliff explained that this intersection is a combination of state and local roads noting that the township elected to take on the challenge to address the failing intersection.

“If Kennett Township was not proactive in securing funding for this project, upgrades would likely not occur before 2030,” Ratliff said.

The township’s local match to the project is $767,743 for a total project cost of $2.9 million. Final engineering is expected to begin sometime later this summer.

A schematic shows a proposed roundabout to ease traffic concerns at the ‘five points’ intersection in Kennett Township.