PennDOT to widen Route 1 to three lanes

EAST MARLBOROUGH>> The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plans to widen Route 1 to three lanes in both direction from the end of the Kennett Bypass to Greenwood Road at Longwood Gardens, and a public meeting on the topic has been set for April 4.

“We have been working on this since 1988,” said Jane Laslo, East Marlborough Township manager, adding that the portion from Greenwood Road to Route 52 has already been completed.

The road is especially congested during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Penn DOT also plans to install “smart” traffic signals

on that stretch of roadway. The smart signals respond to surges in traffic creating a much smoother traffic flow.

The work will necessitate Penn DOT obtaining some easements, mostly for cutting into embankments.

Other planned changes include widening the radius at Route 1 and Bayard Road. Currently, the stop bars on Bayard Road are placed quite a distance away from Route 1 to allow traffic on Route 1 tomake a right turn onto Bayard Road.

This summer, that stretch of roadway is scheduled for complete repaving.

Penn DOT has had the project on its list for quite some time, but newdevelopment has sprung up on both

sides of the road, requiring revisions to the plan. The latest is TD Bank, near Walgreens, where Burger King had been. TD Bank purchased the property several years ago but has yet to start construction.

Because of Penn DOT’s broken promises, Laslo said she feels construction to make the road three lanes in both directions is three to five years out. Laslo said she also would like to see a sidewalk installed along the roadway when construction starts.

The public meeting will take place April 4 at 7 p.m. at 721 Unionville Road. Penn DOT’s design consultant, Gannett Fleming, Inc., will discuss the project objectives and the proposed improvements.