Penn Township Supervisors reported on Oct. 5 that PennDOT has cleared the way for the construction of the intersection project slated for Route 796 and West Baltimore Pike in Jennersville.

The issuance of the permit represents the clearing of the final administrative hurdle for the $2.4 million intersection project near the former Red Rose Inn. McMahon Associates, the township’s project manager and design and construction engineer for the intersection, can now solicit bids on behalf of the township for the project’s construction, which is expected to take place in 2019. They expect to award the bid in November this year.

“It’s been a long process, but well worth it, as we believe the design of this intersection will improve its functionality and make passage through our town center both safer and swifter,” said Penn Supervisors Chair Curtis Mason, Sr. “We are grateful for the efforts of State Sen. Andy Dinniman and State Rep. John Lawrence, who went above and beyond to make this happen to improve the health, safety and welfare of our community.”

The project will be partially funded by PennDOT and a Commonwealth Financing Authority Multi-Modal grant. The remaining funds will be paid by Penn Township, though the township adopted a traffic impact fee last May which will help to recoup the township’s expenditures over time.

Several options were evaluated, and through this evaluation the following improvements are proposed:

• Improve the alignment of the northern and southern legs of Route 796 within the tight constraints of the Red Rose Inn and the building on the southeast intersection corner.

• Widen southbound Route 796 to provide a separate 80-foot left-turn lane with a continuous 450-foot center left-turn lane through lane, and a separate 300-foot southbound right-turn lane. Provide turning radius improvements at both northeast and northwest intersection corners.

• Restripe northbound Route 796 to provide a separate 150-foot left-turn lane with a continuous center-left-turn lane to The Shops at Jenner’s Village, and provide turning radius improvements at the southwest intersection corner.

• Restripe westbound Route 3026 to provide a 100-foot left-turn lane at the intersection, and a 300-foot continuous center left-turn lane to serve the driveways on the south side of Old Baltimore Pike.

• Install a new traffic signal at the intersection with updated signal phasing.

• Resurface both roadways within the vicinity of the intersection.