By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

Kennett Township and East Marlborough Township are partnering on a project that will make vast improvements to the intersection-interchange of Route 1 and Route 82, just north of the Kennett Square Borough.

At their Feb. 17 meeting, the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors gave approval to the project, and to authorize Township Manager Eden Ratliff to execute the agreement with Wyoming Electric & Signal in the amount of $669,804.75. The Wyoming, Pa.-based company submitted the lowest cost estimate bid for the project.

Kennett Township Finance & Procurement Specialist Denise Serino told the board that the project is expected to begin soon and have an anticipated completion date of Oct. 1.

The project will include extensive excavation and demolition; the addition of a turning lane, ADA ramps, mountable concrete islands and a sidewalk; and the removal of curb lines.

The modified intersection will also include the addition of two stop lights – one at the end of the exit ramp for drivers who exit the northbound side of Route 1 to Route 82 heading toward Kennett Square, and the other at the exit ramp for drivers leaving southbound Route 1 onto Route 82 heading north to Unionville.

The configuration of the intersection will eventually allow for signal changes, to allow for pedestrian crossings.

In 2017, the two townships jointly filed an application through PennDOT’s Automated Red-Light Enforcement Funding Program (ARLE) that proposed a project to address traffic flow concerns along Route 82 corridor in the vicinity of the Route 1 on- and off-ramps. This project was awarded a grant in 2018 from the ARLE Funding Program in the amount of $692,592 that led to the townships commissioning Traffic Planning & Design (TPD) to complete a traffic operational analysis.

The analysis showed that the most viable option was to reconfigure the Cedarcroft Road approach to Unionville Road so that it is included into the traffic-control signal of the Route 1 northbound ramps.

“As one of those who spearheaded this project, I am very pleased to see that it is finally coming to fruition -- with its various iterations -- to allow left-hand turns and walkways and other things of that sort,” supervisor Scudder Stevens said. “I’m really pleased with the cooperation between Kennett Township and East Marlborough Township, and that we’ve been able to get to this point.”

In other township business, the board signed off on a request by the Board of Commissioners of Chester County to designate which agencies and individuals will fulfill the safety needs of the township for 2021, chiefly in the areas of fire and emergency services.

Under Res. 2021-6, the Kennett Fire Company and Longwood Fire Company will provide fire and rescue protection to the township; the Longwood Fire Company will provide ambulance services and advanced life support services; the township’s police department will provide full-time police protection; and Jeffrey Hammaker will be the designated emergency management coordinator.

The resolution further resolves that the Board of Supervisors have reviewed and adopted the township’s emergency operations plan.

In his update to the board, Ratliff said that the Kennett Trails Alliance, a key partner in the development of the Kennett Greenway, has been working on a “Trail Talks” video series – now available for viewing on the Kennett Greenway’s website -- where community members express their thoughts about the Kennett Greenway and the vision for its role in the community.

The township’s Trails and Sidewalks Committee will be reviewing data from the recent Kennett Greenway survey, and a full presentation will be delivered by the committee at the board’s March 3 meeting.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].