Palmyra Township (Wayne County) officials are weighing support of a proposed traffic signal on Purdytown Turnpike (Route 590) where it meets Owego Turnpike (Route 3028), near a blind curve on 590.
The intersection is right at the boundary between Palmyra and Paupack townships, north of Lake Wallenpaupack. Although the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has proposed to fund the project, it would be up to the townships to cover ongoing maintenance and energy costs for the signal.
At their June 3 meeting, Supervisor Chairperson Pete Steffen decided to revisit the issue after a letter to the supervisors from Andrea Whyte, member of the Township Planning Commission, was read aloud, stating her opinion about the need for a traffic signal there.
“Gentleman, I am writing to express my dismay about the board’s recent decision to decline funding for maintenance of a traffic light in a busy intersection at Owego Turnpike and State Route 590 in an area that everyone agrees poses considerable safety issues to drivers.” She asked them to reconsider it for the safety of motorists.
The supervisors on May 6 related that PennDOT notes an increase in traffic and safety issues at this intersection, she reminded.
Owego meets Route 590 in the middle of a steep hill with an eastbound blind spot, and a westbound curve.
The two commercial stone quarries on Owego Turnpike result in regular heavy truck traffic onto or exiting 590.
PennDOT lists this intersection as one of its pending Transportation Improvement Projects. The state has allocated $235,000 between fiscal years 2023 and 2024. The estimate date work could commence is Dec. 21, 2026, with completion by Oct. 23, 2027. Separately, PennDOT is anticipating shoulder widening in this area.
Whyte reminded that the state requested that the two townships share the ongoing maintenance responsibility.
Although Whyte stated that Paupack Township officials declined participation in any maintenance responsibility, they have not decided, Paupack Supervisor/Chairperson Bruce Chandler said. He stated that their board has not discussed it yet at a public meeting and was uncertain if it was on their June agenda or not. Chandler said they did get a letter from PennDOT about the matter.
Whyte said it was reasonable for the two townships to maintain the signal since they would be aware of local conditions.
“Instead of viewing the new traffic signal as another state initiative coming down the line, perhaps we should consider it as our tax money coming back to us in the form of expensive signaling and land adjustment to solve a more serious… issue,” Whyte said. She added that the amount of money to maintain the light would seem paltry if without the signal, a child was injured or killed because of an accident at this intersection which could have been avoided by having the signal.
Palmyra Township Solicitor Jeffrey Treat said that Palmyra could agree to maintain the light if Paupack did not share in the cost, but Palmyra would bear the whole expense. Supervisor Joe Kmetz commented, “If we take it over, we are going to help the residents, because I know I go out of that quarry sometimes and it is a son of a gun.”
Steffen asked to see the traffic engineering studies PennDOT may have done supporting the project. He also suggested that the quarry owners be asked if they would enter into an agreement to help with the traffic signal maintenance costs.
Palmyra Township also maintains the signal at Route 590/Route 6 and the IGA market signal. Township Secretary Shayla Gauger said that it costs roughly $700 a year to keep Kuharchik Construction available for maintenance. The lights cost roughly $40-$50 a month for electricity. IGA reimburses the township for their signal. “So, technically we are paying $1,400 in service fees for our two lights and are footing one light bill,” she said.
“Let’s see what PennDOT is up to. $1400 doesn’t bother me,” Steffen said. “If we can go alone without any legal repercussions.” Kmetz said he would contact PennDOT and report at next month’s supervisors meeting.
Route 590/6 light
Concerning the traffic signal at 590 and Route 6, which is right by the county line bridge, Gauger followed up on a prior supervisors’ meeting discussion over problematic timing of the signal. The 590/6 signal is coordinated with the nearby IGA signal and the signal at the Wallenpaupack Area High School, just down Route 6 on the Pike County side.
Kuharchik reported that to adjust the timing, permission will be needed from their counterpart Pike County neighbor, Palmyra Township, and an engineer will need to do a study, Gauger related. Kmetz asked for quotes from engineers.
The complaint is that only a few vehicles coming off Route 590 can enter Route 6 before the green light turns red, if they move too slow. “I see a lot of people on their phone, and they don’t pay attention to the light, and you can only get two cars through,” Kmetz added.
The Route 590/6 signal was installed in 2000, after nearly 10 years of discussion. Hawley Borough’s only full traffic signal, where Route 6, Hudson Street (590) and Spruce Street meet, was installed in 2001. Lake Region IGA has had a traffic signal since the late 1980s.
Palmyra Township (Wayne County) supervisors meet on the first Monday at 6:30 p.m. at 219 Oak St., Marble Hill.
For more information on the 590/Owego project and other PennDOT Transportation Improvement Projects, see: gis.penndot.pa.gov/paprojects/TipVisMap.aspx#.
Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: PennDOT proposes traffic signal at Route 590/Owego Turnpike
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