The Route 136 Safety Improvement Project (SR 0136, Section 136) is located in the Village of Ginger Hill, Washington County. The project area is primarily comprised of a mix of residential, commercial, and mining properties. This section of Route 136 has experienced a high volume of crashes due over the past decade. The primary factors leading to the high crash volumes include poor horizontal and vertical geometry; inadequate sight distance; high travel speeds; and poorly controlled access to the highway.
In 2008, PennDOT 12-0 prepared the SR 0136 Ginger Hill Engineering Study, which identified various substandard conditions and reviewed various alternatives to improve both the horizontal and vertical geometry. In addition, other low-cost safety related recommendations were proposed to help improve safety along the corridor. PennDOT 12-0 developed a recommended alternative (Alternative 1), which was advanced into Preliminary Engineering.
TPD was selected by PennDOT 12-0 in the fall of 2011 to begin work on Preliminary Engineering and Final Design Activities. TPD reviewed and refined the preferred alternative selected by PennDOT 12-0, which involved the relocation of Ginger Hill Road (SR 1087), Pittsburgh Road (SR 0917) and Cracker Jack Road (SR 1067) to help improve sight lines at these locations and the upgrade of SR 0136 to meet current 3R criteria. The 3R upgrades included modifying shoulder widths and re-aligning Route 136 near the intersection with Route 917.
Several design refinements were identified in preliminary design because of coordination with public officials and the local property owners and efforts by TPD to right size the project to minimize right-of- way and utility impacts. Through coordination with PennDOT and the public, the overall property impacts were reduced from 12 properties to three (3) properties. This allowed the overall right-of-way acquisition time and cost to be significantly reduced.
TPD prepared Construction Plans, Traffic Control Plans, Signing and Pavement Marking Plans, Cross Sections, Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Plans, Post Construction Stormwater Management Plans and Right-of-Way Plans. TPD was also responsible for coordination with local review agencies, affected utility companies, the school district and local emergency services.
