Changes near Sumneytown interchange could come in 2019
Two left turn arrows could be removed to spur traffic flow
TOWAMENCIN >> Changes could come in 2019 to help increase traffic flow near the Lansdale Interchange of the Northeast Extension in Towamencin.
Traffic engineer Joe DeSantis of engineering firm McMahon Associates gave Towamencin’s board an update last week on changes the firm is studying.
“Everyone is aware, there’s a huge backup occurring on Sumneytown Pike, approaching the new slip ramp opposite Old Forty Foot Road,” said DeSantis.
“What we’ve worked out with PennDOT is basically a two-step approach. One thought is to modify the existing interchange, to encourage people to go past the slip ramp,” he said.
For nearly all of 2018, the supervisors and traffic engineer have discussed how to fix traffic tieups around the interchange, including heavy traffic stacking at the new turnpike slip ramp that can cause traffic to pile up for several hundred feet, as far as Wambold Road.
Over the summer, McMahon engineers presented one possible solution: change the signal on Sumneytown at the interchange so drivers heading eastbound and making a left turn toward the turnpike toll plaza no longer have to wait for green arrows, but can turn during any gaps in oncoming traffic instead.
“One of the reasons people aren’t using the double left,” from Sumneytown into the toll plaza, DeSantis said, “is that it gets very little green time, and you sit there for a very long time before it cycles around.”
The engineer’s first proposal would be to change the double left turn lanes with double green left arrows to a single turn lane, with an
arrow to provide dedicated turning time, and also a green signal to allow continual turns.
“The idea would be to convert to a single left lane, which would allow traffic to turn, not only on an arrow, but also on a gap, when Sumneytown Pike traffic is moving, which is a lot of the time Sumneytown Pike is green,” DeSantis said.
“Traffic would be able to turn on a gap, which opens up the capacity and reduces the delays, and hopefully encourages more people to bypass the slip ramp,” he said.
If that change is made, DeSantis told the board during their Oct. 10 meeting, a corresponding change can be made to further help traffic flow. On the ramps leading from Sumneytown toward the toll plaza, traffic currently flows into two lanes from the eastbound double left arrows, with a westbound turn lane from Sumneytown yielding to oncoming traffic making the double lefts.
“With this change” to the signals on Sumneytown, “we can also change the double left, which takes two lanes onto the ramp. We change it to one lane onto the ramp, and we can then convert the right turn into its own lane, as proposed to right now, it’s a yield condition,” DeSantis said.
Removing the yield from drivers making the westbound right off of Sumneytown should improve traffic flow for those drivers waiting on Sumneytown to make the turn.
“Then we’ll see how the traffic adjusts itself, and then we’ll see if there’s anything more we need to do,” DeSantis said.
The traffic engineer has also discussed with PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission whether the eastbound left turn lane on Sumneytown leading into the slip ramp near Old Forty Foot Road, could be extended from the current 180 foot length by roughly 200 more feet. Doing so would provide more space for traffic stacking as drivers wait to make the left onto the slip ramp, and early estimates are that doing so would require a small portion of road widening at a cost of roughly $150,000.
“That’s a number we discussed with the Turnpike (Commission) at a very informal meeting, and they were receptive to it,” DeSantis said.
“I was proceeding under the thought that the township would make the signal changes, but not get the turnpike involved until we see how that worked,” he said.
Changing the lane striping leading up to the double left arrows would cost an additional $20,000, DeSantis told the board, and that cost has also been raised with the turnpike commission. Depending on discussions with PennDOT and the turnpike commission, permits could be secured by the end of summer 2019, with construction taking place in fall 2019 before grant funds expire in 2020.
The township has secured a state grant for traffic signal improvements under its “Green Light Go” program, DeSantis told the board, and could investigate whether that or other grant money could be used for the line striping.
“We can also still say to the turnpike, ‘You created the problem, you should pay for it,’” DeSantis said.
“But I’d rather save the turnpike for the construction improvement, because none of these grants allow them to be used for physical widening — it’s all signals and striping, lines and signs,” he said.
Supervisors Chairman said doing so would be “kind of a hard pill to swallow,” since the grant was awarded to make improvements elsewhere instead of solving problems created by turnpike traffic. Supervisor Rich Marino said he thought the engineer should ask the turnpike commission about funding the striping first, and Township Manager Rob Ford suggested both the striping and widening costs be discussed together.
“What we’re saying here is to ask Joe to go back to the turnpike, and discuss both projects,” Wilson said, “and our preferred position is to have them pay for the whole thing.”
Resident Joe Silverman asked if the Turnpike Commission anticipated the level of traffic now seen stacking up to turn onto the new slip ramp.
“It doesn’t look like it,” Marino replied.
“Why would we have to pay a penny for this silly thing, if the engineering wasn’t done correctly?” Silverman asked.
“We don’t disagree with you. It should be their responsibility,” Wilson answered.
Towamencin’s supervisors next meet at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the township administration building, 1090 Troxel Road. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www. Towamencin.org.