Roundabout coming to busy 222/Schantz Road intersection in Upper Macungie

Motorists in Upper Macungie Township should soon get a measure of relief from traffic congestion within a busy travelling hub.PennDOT is poised to construct a roundabout at the intersection of Route 222 and Schantz Road as part of its ongoing effort to use the traffic calming device throughout the state.The Board of Supervisors Thursday authorized submission of a maintenance agreement with PennDOT that will enable construction to begin in February of 2020, Township Engineer David Alban said.Work should be completed by the end of 2021, he said.The project will be fully funded by PennDOT, with the township sharing in the cost of providing electricity for lighting, Township Manager Robert Ibach Jr. said.Despite some people’s apprehension about how to navigate them, roundabouts serve as traffic calming measures that reduce speed and relieve gridlock, said Kathy Rader, board secretary.“It slows the traffic down and keeps traffic moving,” she said.PennDOT last year completed work on a roundabout 10 miles west in Richmond Township, Berks County, at Route 222 and Route 662.The $6.6 million project replaced a signalized intersection and allowed for the widening of Route 222 to four lanes at the roundabout approaches. PennDOT had installed 43 roundabouts at the intersections of state roads with another 26 in the design phase, as of September.Police Chief Edgardo Colon said the intersection is a trouble spot in the township for service calls, and that a roundabout might be an effective remedy.“We have a lot of crashes at that particular intersection,” he said.Vice Chairman Sean Gill agreed.“It’s only a matter of time, we’ll have a fatality at that intersection the way it’s set up now,” he said.Kevin Duffy is a freelance writer.
Source: Morningcall