A total of 165 people attended the first public meetings for the Laurel Valley Transportation Improvement Project held on April 29, 2003 at Norvelt Elementary School in Norvelt and April 30, 2003 at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe.

More than 40% of the meeting attendees completed and returned the project survey and comment forms. Some of the concerns expressed at both meetings involved the construction of a new four-lane highway; whether a new road would be a toll road; and improving existing roads including State Routes 981 and 982 in lieu of building a new road. Both support and concern were expressed regarding the need to support economic development. Discussion about the original "Laurel Valley Expressway" project from 1967 also surfaced at both meetings. Some attendees applauded the project and urged PENNDOT to move forward. Farmlands, wetlands, and quality of life issues were discussed throughout the question and answer session, which followed the formal presentations given at each meeting. Survey results from this round of public meetings will be posted on this site in the near future. Of the 165 attendees, 26 responded to the call for volunteers to serve on the project's Community Advisory Board (CAB). If you are interested in being considered for membership on the CAB, you can request an application via email to lgreene@kci.com. PENNDOT anticipates holding its first CAB meeting early this summer.

PENNDOT appreciates the communities' interest in this important transportation project. PENNDOT also encourages you to continue to communicate your concerns, ideas, and questions to the project team throughout the project development process via the "Contact Us" page on this web site.