Major Upgrade Coming To Busy Newtown Borough Intersection In 2024

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA - A major traffic signal upgrade is coming to a busy borough intersection in 2024.

At its December 12 meeting, borough council awarded bids for new signal heads and poles, new LED countdown pedestrian signals and pavement markings and construction of concrete sidewalk and curb ramps at the Washington and Lincoln avenues intersection.

The improvements are aimed at reducing congestion on Washington Avenue, making the intersection safer for pedestrian crossings and upgrading aging equipment and poles.

Among the new pedestrian accommodations will be a leading pedestrian interval (LPI), which will allow pedestrians to enter the crosswalk 3 to 7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. The LPI allows pedestrians to better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles have priority to turn right or left.

The borough received five bids for the project, including two low bidders.

The low base bid was submitted by Associated Paving Contractors in the amount of $421,314. Armour & Sons Electric submitted the low base bid with alternate add-on for more decorative poles in the amount of $500,473.

A portion of the cost will be paid for by a $271,000 grant awarded to the borough in 2021 through PennDOT's Greenlight Go program. The successful grant was written by former councilwoman Nicole Radowicz.

The light standards and equipment at the intersection are nearly 50 years old and need to be replaced, according to borough engineer Michelle Fountain.

Among the issues debated by council was whether to spend an extra $80,000 for fluted, more decorative mast arms, similar to the ones at Washington and State. The more decorative standards were requested by the adjacent neighbors who didn?t want the intersection to look like a standard highway intersection.

Council voted to approve Amour?s bid for the more decorative standards.

"There?s no difference in functionality. They both tell people when to stop and go. So it?s about clothing so to speak or about how things look,? said Councilman Kris Bauman.

?An extra $80,000 in addressing that is no simple matter when it comes to aesthetics," Bauman continued. "However, sometimes clothing does matter and in this case we have two other signals in town that have this look. It?s a much nicer look and it?s representative of who we are as a town, as a community. And I think we should do the same here not withstanding the fact that it?s going to cost us more money.?

Work on the project is scheduled in the April to June time frame, according to Fountain.