BUTLER TWP — Collaboration between municipalities will be key when trying to make improvements to the stretch of Route 68 connecting Butler to Evans City.

Representatives with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission of Pittsburgh this week completed an intensive road assessment to identify dangerous areas, suggest improvements and receive input from local leaders. The assessment was requested by PennDOT District 10. Areas were rated by frequency and severity of accidents in the vicinity.

Suggestions included more minor projects, such as replacing faded road signs and out-of-date traffic signals; other suggestions included adding left turning lanes at intersections, or changing the placement of a traffic light to be more conducive to traffic flow.

The preliminary plan will be fine-tuned and submitted to PennDOT District 10 within the next month, and PennDOT should respond within a month of the submission.

“What this does present them with is ideas,” said Dom D’Andrea, manager of transportation with SPC. “One lane each way is reaching its tipping point.”

In addition to SPC representatives surveying the road, they also interviewed school districts and county representatives. A 52-slide presentation of preliminary results was reviewed on Friday.

County leaders and municipal leaders from Connoquenessing borough, Evans City, and Butler, Connoquenessing, Forward and Jackson townships also were invited to listen and make additional suggestions.

Some had concerns about how some of the suggested plans could be implemented without definitive funding.

“We need guidance through this,” said Lee Dyer, Evans City council president, referring to how funding could be obtained.

Working collaboratively is going to help accomplish that.

“We could work as a quasi group,” said Jesse Hines, with Butler Township, to garner county and state support.

“I think he has a point,” said Andy Waple, also with SPC. “To get any of these things accomplished ... all of you guys working together is paramount. You guys have to work together to have a unified front, if you will, representing the corridor. Doing it individually, it’s not going to hold as much weight.”

But like anything, road improvements are going to take time. County Commissioner Gary Pinkerton urged municipal leaders to be patient about the process.

“Nothing happens overnight,” he said. “The ideas SPC brings to the whole thing, it makes it go faster.”