DRAFT PREFERRED IMPROVEMENT CONCEPT

Draft Preferred Improvement Concept
The Draft Preferred Improvement Concept will follow the common alignment (shared by all four draft concepts) from Route 819 to just north of the PA Turnpike. From there, it will follow either Draft Concept 1 or 3 between the Turnpike and Norvelt. Further traffic and environmental studies will be done to determine the preferred alignment in this area. Between Norvelt and Route 130 to the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, the Draft Preferred Concept follows the alignment of Fradt Concept 4 at the southern end of the Airpark.

How was the Draft Preferred Improvement Concept selected?
   • Combines the best parts of the previously studied four Concepts,
      based on community feedback and minimizing impacts
      ‒ Least amount of private property impacts
      ‒ Lowest impact to public utilities
      ‒ Minimizes impacts to sensitive environmental features
      ‒ Considered community concerns

   • Creates a consolidated and safer approach to access points
      and access management along corridor

   • Provides a greater opportunity to direct land use throughout the
      corridor along non-built up areas

   • Reduces temporary impacts to local traffic during construction
       of proposed improvements

Logical Termini
The Draft Preferred Improvement Concept has been divided into three segments with logical termini (rational end points for a transportation improvement). This means that the improvement can be done incrementally through smaller projects that make financial sense and will create shorter impacts to the community during construction. Logical termini for this project are:

• From the end of the ongoing PennDOT Project by the
   Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Route 130

• Route 130 to the intersection of Route 981 with Route 2023 -
    Just north of the Norvelt intersection

• Route 981/Route 2023 intersection south to Route 819