On December 9, a ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted, marking the completion of the Waynesburg Betterment and Road Initiative. Greene County Commissioners Jared Edgreen and Betsy McClure asked for the contract with PennDot to improve the aesthetics and functionality of roadways and sidewalks in the borough to improve the lives of Waynesburg residents.
The PennDot project team comprised Design Project Manager Ron Murray, Construction Project Manager Rich Diamond, and Assistant Construction Engineer Darin Glitz. Gulisek Construction was the prime contractor; Quinn Consulting Services and Gibson-Thomas Engineering were inspection consultants. The project was signed by Joel Morris, the business performance manager at PennDot for $11.8 million dollars.
“The Waynesburg Betterment Project was constructed to ensure a safe and efficient route for all modes of transportation through Waynesburg’s downtown business district,” Commissioner Edgreen said. Before the project took hold, Waynesburg had worn crosswalks and sidewalks, which often made travel dangerous for the young and elderly alike, especially in the winter. ADA accessible ramps and crosswalks were improved to make the lives of older adults easier. Additionally, roadways had vague pavement markings which meant frustrating parking tickets and occasional accidents involving large trucks rolling over curbs causing damage to vehicles and infrastructure. Greene Street and High Street had the most extensive makeover, rebuilding almost all the intersections, comprising repavement and improved signage.
“Despite the complexity, including detours and the challenge of working around major community events like Rain Day, Waynesburg University Commencement, and the ‘50s Fest, the project was finished within 14 months.”
For a small town that averages 19,000 vehicles of both commercial and passenger traffic, timeliness was of prime concern: “This project was essential to maintaining the vitality and connectivity of the area.”
As for the wider Greene County area, the purpose of the Waynesburg Betterment and Road Initiative was to attract more businesses to the downtown district and ultimately grow the community. “Over the past 14 months, community and business members had to negotiate multiple work zones and some traffic slow-downs related to the project. Although at times it seemed like an arduous process and created stress within our transportation network, we are happy with the result and thank Penn Dot for their intentional efforts to help bolster our community as it will help to draw more visitors to shop, eat, and enjoy downtown Waynesburg,” Commissioner Edgreen said regarding the accomplishment of the project.
The most notable change in road layout was on High Street, including a natural “chicane,” an S-shaped turn in a normally straight section of road. Chicanes slow traffic down in a particular area and provide better roadside parking without the risk of being sideswiped by passing motorists. “Penn Dot has designed chicanes throughout the commonwealth and has testified that it does, in fact, slow traffic and allows for a safer downtown for our residents and business owners.”
“This success wouldn’t have been possible without the support and patience of so many, to include Franklin Township, Waynesburg Borough, downtown business owners, and community members.” Greene County Commissioner Edgreen said.
