Officials search for Rt 228 funding

The Post-Gazette today had some information about the funding of the 228 improvements. Much of the discussion centers around the proposed Summit at Cranberry planned by the Simon Property Group. More about Rt 228 development can be found at the Route 228 Improvement Project website.

"This is definitely a positive because you have multiple municipalities communicating and getting on the same page and trying to solve problems in unison instead of everybody operating in their own little kingdoms," said Seven Fields Manager Thomas Smith, who called everybody together two weeks ago to begin the discussions.

At issue is $83 million in improvements to Route 228 from Route 19 in Cranberry to Myoma Road in Adams, said Mark Hillwig, community relations coordinator for District 10 of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The improvements are needed to accommodate growth, most particularly a mall planned by Simon Property Group near the intersection of Routes 228 and 19.

"The funding gap is significant, significant to the point that Simon has put its project on hold," said John Trant Jr., chief strategic planning officer for Cranberry.

The improvements include widening part of Route 228 from four lanes to six and another part from two lanes to four. An additional northbound ramp is planned from Route 228 to Interstate 79. Another southbound ramp is planned onto Route 228 from the interstate, Mr. Trant said.

Improvements to the intersection of Routes 228 and 19 include additional through lanes on Route 19 and additional turning lanes in all directions, he said.

Simon added a few improvements of its own to accommodate its mall, including a flyover ramp, which is essentially a bridge over Route 228 connecting the north side of 228 with the east side of I-79, Mr. Trant said.

The mall is planned on the north side of Route 228 across from the Pittsburgh Marriott North and could be anywhere from 750,000 to 1 million square feet, he added.

Simon is bringing the bulk of the funding to the table, officials said. The developer has put together a package of $40 million in public and private funding. "That's a nice chunk of change" from a developer, Mr. Smith said.