A big rig makes its way through Main Street Tuesday in downtown Butler. The county and state are doing a study to seek solutions to heavy truck congestion and how to improve the traffic flow.

Downtown leaders and property owners will have a chance to offer their opinions on heavy truck traffic in the city as part of a traffic study.

Gibson-Thomas Engineering was contracted by Butler County and the state Department of Transportation to do a study of heavy vehicle and freight traffic in and around the Route 8 corridor in Butler.

The study will examine existing issues and deficiencies to improve traffic flow and safety.

Gibson-Thomas sent letters to downtown businesses this month inviting them to a meeting Dec. 3 at the county building.

Bradley DiCola, project manager, said in the letter that the purpose of the meeting is to seek comments to help develop potential solutions to truck congestion and to eliminate unfeasible ideas.

DiCola added that an update on the project and a summary of traffic data also will be presented at the meeting.

Stan Kosciuszko, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, said he has mixed feelings on rerouting truck traffic away from downtown.

“Anything done has to be done properly,” he said.

Kosciuszko said there are concerns that rerouting truck traffic either through a bypass or other means also could take away other vehicles.

He referenced the bypass built around New Castle years ago that rerouted trucks on Route 422 away from the downtown district.

“It took truck traffic but also took automobile traffic too,” he said. “Then again, there are a lot of differences between New Castle and Butler’s downtown.”

Mayor Tom Donaldson said he is skeptical of the study.

“I think it’s a waste of time and energy,” he said, adding there is little that can be done to reroute traffic.

Donaldson said many of the trucks are for local businesses.

“It’s an integral part of service,” he said.

Instead, Donaldson said he believes enforcement of traffic laws is the best way to improve truck traffic.

“Enforcement is the way to go,” he said. “The state should put a weigh station in across from Butler Tire (south of the city). That would help with heavy trucks.”

The county commissioners last year accepted a $435,000 grant for the study aimed at finding solutions to reducing truck traffic on Route 8, which is the city’s Main Street.

Most of the cost, 80 percent, is federally funded. The state pays 20 percent.

The study is administered through a PennDOT program to reduce truck traffic in congested corridors across the state.