Your Input Counts - New Corridor

Based on input from the Public Meeting, PENNDOT and the Project Team have developed a new partial corridor, that uses the southern half of Corridor C and continues north on a new alignment west of the Garrett Shortcut (see map). -This alternative has been named Corridor C-1. This alternative was added to address public concern that Corridors A, B, C, and D would impact a considerable amount of productive farmland, while a corridor west of the Garrett Shortcut would lessen the impact on farmlands.

PENNDOT UNVEILS PRELIMINARY ALTERNATIVES

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Of particular interest to attendees was the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) station. A computer-generated aerial fly-over through the study area was used to illustrate how the corridors traverse the study area. The GIS station also contained a computer kiosk that attendees could "zoom-in" and locate their property or particular areas of interest in the study area.

A computer-automated presentation was set up in a separate room and ran continuously throughout the evening, providing an overview of the project and an update on the current status of the studies.

A Farmers/Right-of-Way station was also set up in a separate room which contained large-scale property and aerial photography maps depicting property boundaries and tax identification numbers. Residents and the farming community were encouraged to locate their property and discuss with PENNDOT Right of Way personnel and Project Team members any concerns they had about the location of the study corridors.

PENNDOT requested the public to comment on which corridors

should be carried forward to detailed studies (Phase 2), which corridors should be dismissed from further consideration, and any concerns they might have.

Based on Phase I environmental studies and impacts, PENNDOT recommended Corridors B, C, and D be carried forward, while the Upgrade of existing U.S. 219, TSM, and Corridor A be dismissed from further consideration (see map above). Corridor A is recommended to be dismissed from detailed studies due to a greater amount of environmental impacts than Corridors B, C, and D. The majority of the people in attendance were in favor of the Project Team's recommendations.

Comments received from attendees included:

• Consider locating an interchange to provide access to Berlin
• Consider looking at a corridor west of the Garrett Shortcut
• Environmental concerns - farmland, wetlands, water quality
• Provide for the Laurel Highlands Hiking and Biking Trail
• Utilization of existing PENNDOT Right-of-Way is a plus (Corridors A and D)