Murrysville officials have some sizable projects to begin under their 2026 capital improvements plan, but having $1.4 million in state funding in hand will help smooth the way.
The first is replacing the adaptive traffic signal system along the stretch of Route 22 that runs through Murrysville, along with the traffic light at Vincent Hall Road.
“It synchronizes all the lights,” said Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico.
The current system was created by Rhythm Engineering. It’s about 12 years old, and Nestico said part of the reason repairs to the system have taken time is that municipal staff have had difficulty reaching Rhythm officials regarding maintenance and other issues.
Since the system was installled, multiple control boxes have been damaged during otherwise minor crashes.
“The timeline is around two years for the engineering, purchasing and installation,” Nestico told members of Murrysville council this month. “So it will be a couple years before it’s all finalized, but the grant award was the first step.”
Monroeville officials moved away from the Rhythm adaptive system in 2024, taking advantage of an $800,000 grant from the state’s “Green Light Go” program.
The second, more costly project is the replacement of the Logan Ferry Bridge, which was built in 1979 and carries traffic over Haymaker Run at the southern end of Sardis Road.
“In our capital reserve, that project is estimated to cost more than $2 million,” Nestico said. “We did receive a grant for $800,000 to help with that.”
Nestico said municipal staff looked at options to relocate the bridge, a possibility that has been discussed in the past.
“Removing the bridge and not replacing it in that spot just wasn’t feasible and wouldn’t fit into the (grant) timeline,” he said. “Our engineering consultant has told us that the engineering and design work alone is likely to cost more than $400,000 … It’s a pretty big project.”
It is one of three bridges — including a bridge on Cal-Ken Court and another at the entrance to the Heather Highlands neighborhood — that need to be addressed. The municipality and Franklin Township Municipal Sanitary Authority have completed some repairs in recent years, but those were only a temporary fix.
The bridges cost the municipality between $50,000 and $75,000 annually in ongoing repairs and maintenance, Murrysville officials said.
