Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is planning to invest $10 million in improvements to Church Road in the Wyncote section of Cheltenham, an area known for collisions, close calls, and being particularly unfriendly to pedestrians, writes Kevin Riordan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The stretch of just over one-third of a mile will get turning lanes at Rices Mill and Greenwood intersections. The federally funded project will also upgrade and synchronize the traffic signals at both intersections, improve drainage, and add a sidewalk along the north side of the road.
“The intersection improvements are specifically tailored to address existing traffic volumes and are not intended to encourage more traffic,” said a PennDOT spokesperson.
However, not everybody is excited about PennDOT’s upcoming changes. Some residents living near the road said that the improvements will result in more drivers. In addition, they said, the many trees cut down to clear the way for the project have already changed parts of the landscape almost beyond recognition.
“This is not what we signed up for,” said Wyncote resident Bobbie Muse. “We signed up for a quiet suburban life and now we’re sitting in the middle of a major highway.”
Read more about the issue in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
