JACKSON TWP — With significant economic development anticipated near both of the Interstate 79 exits in the township, changes will be needed to handle increased traffic.

To deal with those changes, officials have created a plan that lists road improvements to be done over the next 20 years.

The improvements are in the two transportation service areas where Jacksonplans to create traffic impact fees for development. The northern area is centered around the intersection of Route 19 and Little Creek Road, while the southern area includes Route 19’s intersections with Tollgate School Road and Route 528.

Some plans deal with adding turning lanes and traffic signals while others involve relocating little-traveled roads to form four-way intersections with state highways.

Before each project can be done, the township needs to commission a traffic study, done to state standards, to document the need for the improvement based on the amount of traffic, township manager Chris Rearick said.

“Based on the land use assumptions report, the township has done its due diligence to research and project its transportation needs. These projects will be necessary in the future,” Rearick said,

Local impact fees can only be used to cover 50 percent of the cost of improvement on state roads, so the township will use grant money or private money to cover the rest of the costs, he said.

Several of the projects are moving ahead thanks to grants recently awarded by the state.

In October, the state Department of Transportation announced a $1.5 million grant to the township for improvements to Route 19 and Little Creek, Mercer, Wise and Fanker roads.

The grant application was submitted by the Creative Real Estate Development, which worked in cooperation with the township, owner Don Rodgers said.

The company owns 112 acres including land bounded by Route 19, Little Creek Road and Mercer Road and the property that used to house the Zelie Motel. Road improvements would support some of the possible development of that land, Rodgers said.

“It’ll definitely improve everything over there,” he said.

However, nothing has been submitted to the township, but Rodgers said plans for that property include 470 residential units, a 100,000 square-foot Steamfitters union trade school and possible retail stores.

Joe Little, secretary-treasurer of Steamfitters Local 449 declined to comment on a possible trade school.

“Nothing has been finalized,” he said in an e-mail.

Rodgers said the grant requires a 30 percent match, which he will work to obtain from area businesses.

Plans in the north

The township’s plans call for this work in the northern area:

n 2015: Relocate Fanker Road to form a four-way intersection with Route 19 and Wise Road

n 2015: Add a traffic signal to Route 19 and Fanker/Wise road intersection

n 2019: Widen Wise Road and Route 19 to add left turn lanes

n 2023: Add a traffic signal to intersection of Little Creek Road and Route 19

n 2025: Add a traffic signal or a roundabout to intersection of Little Creek Road and Mercer Road

Plans in the south

The plan also calls for improvements in the southern service area, some of which will be paid for by a $1.5 million grant:

n 2016: Relocate Tomlinson Drive at the intersection with Route 528 and add a traffic signal

n 2017: Widen Route 528 to include turn lanes at intersection with Tomlinson Drive

n 2018: Add a traffic signal at the intersection of Tollgate School Road and Route 19

n 2018: Widen Tollgate School Road to include left and right turn lanes for westbound traffic at the intersection with Route 19

n 2018: Relocate Jo Deener Road to line up with Tomlinson Drive at intersection with Route 528

n 2032: Widen Gudekunst Road to have dedicated left and right turn lanes

The anticipated traffic impact fees from development projects would bring in $1.86 million for the projects in the northern area and $4.92 million for those in the southern area.

Supervisors will have a public hearing on Nov. 20 and consider adoption of the ordinance to instate the impact fees.