Norwin-area residents told local and county officials improvements are needed to routes 30 and 130 to ease traffic congestion and improve safety.

About 20 residents attended a meeting this week organized by Irwin Councilman Tyler Baum, who said he views the communities as being connected through the transportation routes.

“Our Main Street is Route 30. We’re trying to clean up the appearance of that Route 30 corridor,” North Huntingdon Commissioner Virginia Stump said.

Route 30 from the North Versailles border to Irwin is the target of a major traffic improvement project by PennDOT, but only one section at the western end of the county is in the design phase. That project is not expected to be built for a few more years.

Meanwhile, North Huntingdon police are stepping up traffic enforcement along a section of Route 30 — from Malts Lane to Carpenter Lane — where there have been a high number of traffic accidents, including several fatalities in the past several years.

Stump said that, when North Huntingdon Chief Robert Rizzo met recently with PennDOT to discuss needed safety improvements, the state officials thought interim measures are needed now.

“People are dying in that one stretch. The speeding is awful,” Stump said.

Speeding throughout the Norwin communities was raised during this week’s discussion.

A group of North Huntingdon residents said they were concerned the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s proposed slip ramp connecting Route 130 in Harrison City with the highway would increase traffic.

The traffic congestion along Route 130 will only increase with a slip ramp, making travel from a new housing plan along Morris Avenue in North Huntingdon and Penn Township onto Route 130 traveling toward Trafford even more difficult, they said.

Stump said those concerns prompted her to ask township Manager Harry Faulk to see if North Huntingdon could become involved in any discussions about such a slip ramp, even though it is in Penn Township.

Route 993 corridor

The Route 993 corridor that connects Irwin with Trafford and runs through North Huntingdon is an important one for the possibility of a recreational trail that would connect Irwin and Trafford. The Westmoreland Heritage Trail has one of its trailheads in Trafford.

Railway safety also was discussed, in light of the derailment of a Norfolk Southern Corp. freight train in East Palestine, Ohio. Norfolk Southern’s main line from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg cuts through Trafford, North Huntingdon and Irwin.

Trafford council President Kris Cardiff said that is a concern for the borough because the line separates the South Trafford neighborhood from the rest of the town. In the case of a derailment, “it could literally cut off the entire portion of that section of the town,” Cardiff said.

Baum said he would like to hold additional town hall meetings on other important issues.

“I want to increase transparency and facilitate networking between the citizens and ultimate decision makers,” Baum said.

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