Technicians install new traffic lights on new poles at the intersection of Market and Jefferson streets in downtown Kittanning last week.
by Jonathan Weaver
About four months following initial plans, Kittanning Borough motorists will see a traffic pattern change at the end of February.
County Planning and Development Program Manager Sally Conklin said electronic billboards advising motorists of the news were posted Thursday.
“On February 26, traffic will be going two-way on Jefferson Street,” Conklin said. “(Last week), they (were) working on the signal installation. (Today), they’ll be down on Water Street.
“We’re progressing forward.”
In the past few months, Kittanning Borough Council elected officials decided to delay the traffic pattern change due to filming of the Netflix psychological drama “Mindhunter.”
The traffic pattern change was originally digitally-advertised for October 17.
In addition to stopping at a stop sign at the corner of Jefferson and Jacob Streets in Kittanning Borough, motorists slow Friday to read a new electronic sign updating when Jefferson Street will become two-way traffic.
But, Conklin said the delay has not increased costs.
As part of Phase Two of the Downtown Kittanning Revitalization Project, Jefferson Street will be the last downtown street to be open to two-way traffic. McKean Street was changed last year under the first phase of the project.
In anticipation of the two-way traffic, Borough Council members approved two loading/unloading zones in July to make room for deliveries of trucks up to 53 feet long. Both zones will be located on the west side of the street (closest to the river).
The zones will be utilized by standard trucks making deliveries such as UPS and Fed-Ex, and by larger vehicles carrying deliveries of beverages as well as oversized trailers carrying pallets of goods.
Following the street shift, Phase Three includes paving portions of South Grant Street, McKean Street between Arch and Jacob Streets and Jefferson Street between Arch and Mulberry Streets.
The South Jefferson Street public parking lot will also be repaved and ADA ramping will also be added in different areas of the borough.
“That (work) will happen this Summer,” Conklin said. “That’s being paid for using a Smart Transportation grant and an ARC (Appalachian Regional Commission) grant.”
Reportedly late last week, Tresco Paving Corp., - of Pittsburgh – was the low bidder for Phase Three work at $610,000.
Even with those projects funded, donations are still being accepted through the local Community Foundation - Serving the Heart of Western Pennsylvania.
“Part of the funding will be used each year to help refresh the planters – have a company come in (and) spruce them up, add some mulch to help replace dead plants,” Conklin said. “We’re also looking for people to volunteer to help take care of some of the planters. Some people have stepped up and said ‘Yes, we’d like to,’ but we still have a number of them that are not adopted.”
Interested local business owners or residents can contact Kittanning Borough Secretary Betty Thompson at 724-543-2091 for more information.
Conklin will continue the discussion at Kittanning Borough Council’s February regular meeting.