HERSHEY — Limerick Township was named the bridge winner of the 41st Annual Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest this morning during the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ Excellence Awards ceremony.
The event, which recognizes the significant achievements of townships and their officials from across the state, was held as part of PSATS’ 2023 Annual Educational Conference and Exhibit Show in Hershey. The conference attracts attendees from every county in Pennsylvania.
PSATS sponsors the statewide Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest each year in partnership with the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association and the state Department of Transportation to recognize townships for their extensive contributions of time and effort in making roads and bridges safer.
“PSATS recognizes and celebrates townships that demonstrate a commitment to road and bridge safety. Townships like Limerick demonstrate the value these improvements bring to communities, especially when crews use their resources wisely,” PSATS Executive Director David Sanko said.
Limerick Township was honored for the improvements it made to the Route 422 Sanatoga Interchange. The interchange is an integral part of Montgomery County’s road network and supports a variety of adjacent land uses, including residential, commercial, and open space.
As a result of more than a decade of working with the county, state, and federal and local agencies preparing planning studies and conceptual plans, the township discovered the interchange was operating at maximum traffic capacity during peak hours and not functioning properly. Additionally, an uncontrolled left turn from Evergreen Road to Route 422 was occurring at a location of two converging and conflicting merge points, creating a safety hazard for turning vehicles and posing significant challenges for drivers, including longer delays, aggressive driving, and accidents.
Through the design process, a full safety analysis of the interchange concluded that a new on-ramp would provide an overall improvement in safety. Through a Highway Safety Manual predictive analysis, overall crashes were predicted to be reduced by 1.95 per year due to this improvement.
Limerick and neighboring Lower Pottsgrove Township received a $2.1 million Department of Community and Economic Development grant in 2016 for the first phase of improvements, which included a new westbound on-ramp to Route 422 from Evergreen Road and roadway and traffic signal improvements to the interchange. In the second phase of the project, the townships will construct a new off-ramp and continue to make improvements to the surrounding road network. Through careful planning and value engineering the project during construction, the project was completed for $2.25 million, approximately $750,000 under budget.
As a result of the project, road users experience reduced travel times, fuel consumption savings, and improved access to jobs, residences, and commercial and recreational destinations. With less congestion and reduced fuel consumption, the area will also experience a reduction in vehicle emissions, thereby improving air quality and overall quality of life for those who live and work along the corridor and visitors who pass through the area.
“Limerick Township considers the improvements to this interchange to be of utmost importance, and the project had been included in the Limerick Township 2009 Comprehensive Plan,” a township representative says. “The construction of the westbound on-ramp at the Sanatoga/Route 422 Interchange, which was Phase I of the overall improvement project, is wholly consistent with the township’s goals of synthesizing infrastructure improvements to maximize the utility of the local road system and facilitate targeted growth patterns.”
The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors represents Pennsylvania’s 1,454 townships of the second class and is committed to preserving and strengthening township government and securing greater visibility and involvement for townships in the state and federal political arenas. Townships of the second class cover 95% of Pennsylvania’s land mass and represent more residents — nearly 5.7 million — than any other type of political subdivision in the commonwealth.