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Work to widen Harrison City-Export Road to add a left-turn lane at the Route 130 intersection might begin in late June, Westmoreland County Engineer Henry Fitz said.

The state Department of Transportation is on schedule to advertise for bids for the estimated $2.3 million project in late April, Fitz said. The project also would straighten out the road to eliminate a dangerous “s” curve near the intersection and provide a safer turn from Harrison City-Export Road onto Municipal Court, which leads to the township offices and the municipal park.

The preliminary design began in 2003, but the state agency put a higher priority on other projects, including improvements to Route 22, Fitz said. The state will pay for 80 percent of the project, and the county, which owns the road, will cover the remainder.

“It's great now that it's coming to fruition here,” Fitz said. “For the people of Penn Township, I really think it's going to be a big help for them.”

Construction likely would continue until the early fall of 2014, but the traffic flow won't be disrupted for most of the project, Fitz said.

Officials estimate more than 16,700 vehicles use the road daily. Within 20 years, the traffic count is expected to increase by 38 percent to 23,000 vehicles.

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A longer-than-expected traffic headache for Level Green residents might end next week.

The state Department of Transportation tentatively is scheduled to reopen Trafford-Murrysville Road on Dec. 21, spokesman Jay Ofsanik said.

State officials closed the road on Sept. 17 for a repair project they initially said would be completed by the end of October.

But the state postponed work by Carmen Paliotta Contracting Inc. until the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County replaced a 300-foot water line near the project area. The county's work wrapped up on Dec. 5, Ofsanik said.

Penn Township Commissioner Larry Harrison said the road closure has been a significant inconvenience for his neighborhood and any drivers who frequent the area. Harrison said he usually takes Trafford-Murrysville Road at least three times a week to go to the tennis courts at Boyce Park in Monroeville. He has taken Abers Creek Road through Monroeville as a detour but said it's a longer drive because it has a lower speed limit and a winding path.

“It will be a welcome change there to be able to go through to Murrysville again,” Harrison said.

Lisa Grublis said the closure has “really been a pain.” The Level Green resident lives about three miles from her parents John and Connie Eddy in Murrysville, but the project means she's without the quickest course.

“It turned what used to be a six-minute drive into a 15-to-20-minute drive, depending on traffic,” Grublis said.

“I'm glad it's not snowing yet because once the snow comes and that route is not open, that's a whole other can of worms.”

Chris Foreman is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-856-7400, ext. 8671 ,or cforeman@tribweb.com.

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