Press release

PENNDOT Public Meetings Scheduled for
Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement

    The Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project will be the focus of the PENNDOT public meetings scheduled for Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30, 2003 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The April 29 meeting will be held in the gym and cafeteria of the Norvelt Elementary School, which is located on East Laurel Circle in Norvelt. Wednesday’s meeting will be held in the community room and board room of the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, located at 200 Pleasant Unity Road, in Latrobe. The format and content of these meetings will be identical. PENNDOT is holding two public meetings to provide interested individuals throughout the project area ample opportunity to learn about the project during its early stages of development. “This is a large project area that involves a broad range of interest ranging from economic development to agriculture. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible, so we’re holding our first public meetings at both northern and southern locations in the project area,” commented PENNDOT Project Manager William Oshnack.

    “Members of PENNDOT and our project team will be on hand to share important project information ranging from the identification of environmental and cultural resources to traffic and accident data,” noted PENNDOT Project Manager Oshnack. “We would also encourage the public to attend so that we can benefit from local input as we move through the project development process.”

    The Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project study area is situated between Mount Pleasant and Blairsville. This phase of the project involves the completion of an environmental inventory and preliminary engineering activities to define alternatives for comparison that meet the project needs.

    PENNDOT’s consultant project team is led by KCI Technologies, Inc. of Pittsburgh, and includes the Transportation Research Group of York and Monaloh Basin Engineers of Pittsburgh.

    “This public meeting will also serve as an opportunity to gather as much public input as we can at this time. Public participation is the key to our efforts to develop the best possible transportation solution for the study area,” noted PENNDOT Project Manager Oshnack.

    In addition to providing a 15-minute presentation on the project at forty-five minute intervals throughout the evening, PENNDOT also plans to offer a survey and comment forms to facilitate public input. Graphic depictions of the project area, environmental features, traffic data, and other engineering-related information will be available. PENNDOT will also be soliciting volunteers to serve on a Community Advisory Board for this project. The Community Advisory Board (CAB) will work closely with the project team throughout the project development process in an advisory capacity. Additional information on this committee as well as applications for CAB membership will be available at both public meetings.

    The meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities. Inquiries regarding special needs or accommodations should be directed to Lisa Greene at (717) 691-1340 as soon as possible.