Roundabout being considered along Route 356 in Buffalo Township

PennDOT is considering addressing congestion and safety concerns along busy Route 356 in Buffalo Township in a roundabout way.

“We’ve found that roundabouts are effective at reducing congestion as well as the number of crashes and the severity of them,” PennDOT spokesman Timothy Nebgen said of the one-way, circular intersections.

Township officials met recently with PennDOT officials to discuss possible improvements along Route 356, which is used by more than 13,000 vehicles a day on average.

In addition to a possible roundabout to replace the signaled intersection in the area of Buffalo Plaza, proposals include widening the state road to five lanes from the area of a Sheetz gas station and South Pike Plaza to the would-be roundabout. Sidewalks also are being considered, with one extending from Kings Family Restaurant to Cole Road on one side of Route 356 and from Sheetz to the area in front of Freeport Area High School.

“I don’t have a ton of details, (but) I think the roundabout and the sidewalks are a good idea,” Supervisors Chairman Ronald Zampogna Jr. said.

Nebgen said preliminary estimates call for spending $8 million to $10 million on improvements in the corridor. State money is available to cover the costs. The township wouldn’t have to use any of its own money, he said.

“The project is still in the design phase, and all options are still being evaluated,” Nebgen said.

He said the next step will be for PennDOT to fine-tune the designs, decide which alternatives to pursue and schedule a public meeting to provide an overview of the project and get input from residents. A date hasn’t been set for the meeting.

In a report released last fall, PennDOT analyzed traffic safety data for 19 roundabouts at intersections that were previously controlled by stop signs or signals and found that crashes dropped 34% between 2000 and 2018, while serious injuries dropped 90% and fatalities went from two to zero.

In addition to the 19 roundabouts analyzed, 29 other roundabouts have been built on state routes, and more than 40 are in the design stage, PennDOT said.

George Guido is a freelance writer.