Adaptive traffic signal project on Route 30 in Hempfield expected to start soon

A PennDOT project adjusting 11 traffic signals to improve traffic flow on about 3 miles of Route 30 in Hempfield is expected to get underway this summer.

Spokesman Jay Ofsanik said officials from Bronder Technical Services Inc. are meeting with project managers soon. The adaptive traffic signal system will allow the lights to coordinate with each other in real time.

Bronder Technical Services was awarded the $2.4 million project last month. Ofsanik said it is expected to be completed by the end of 2021 or early in 2022.

Traffic signals from North Greengate Road to Possum Hollow Road/West Penn Drive will be included in the project. The average daily traffic on that section of highway, heavily populated by businesses, ranges from 36,000 vehicles near Greensburg to 27,000 closer to Jeannette, according to PennDOT traffic volume maps.

Some signals will be completely replaced while others will undergo minor upgrades. Adaptive traffic signals can collect data on traffic flow through radar technology and adjust the light cycle to conditions, rather than changing from green to red at regular intervals.

The signals will have devices to stop traffic to allow emergency vehicles through, Ofsanik said.

A similar project in Murrysville, Monroeville and Salem started operating in 2016 on a 10-mile stretch of Route 22.