Cranberry Township marked the occasion of completing its first comprehensive plan when supervisors voted unanimously last week to approve the $12 million MSA Thruway project.

The thruway will connect Cranberry Springs and other developments north of Route 228 with MSA and allow for access to Cranberry Springs from Interstate 79.

The project will provide many benefits. The thruway is estimated to remove as many as 700 vehicles from Route 228 during the most congested afternoon hours as well as reduce the number of vehicles lined up to get on I-79 north during the morning rush hour.

With development expanding in the area, the thruway project could go a long way in reducing traffic congestion, delays and accidents.

The intersection of I-79 and Route 228 often is a mess around rush hour. It’s challenging to get from the interstate to Cranberry Springs, and the forcing of vehicles to merge across several lanes to access Route 228 frequently results in fender benders.

It’s also great that the project is aiming to connect places where people work with where they live by making the area more pedestrian friendly. The thruway project also will include bike lanes, sidewalk enhancements and many permanent and temporary construction jobs.

“It’s been a long ride — a hard ride,” said Richard Hadley, supervisor chairman, of the project.

It also has been a success story for Cranberry Township, which began work on its comprehensive plan nearly 25 years ago and has since completed significant work.

The township could be a good model for other communities on how to put together a comprehensive plan for community development and seeing it through.

Middlesex Township, for example, recently saw some debate among its supervisors and township residents about whether it was important to develop its own plan.

Also, the manner in which the MSA Thruway came together is an ideal one.

Cranberry Township didn’t have to bear the brunt of the cost because various stakeholders who would benefit from the project came to the table and contributed their part.

For example, MSA — the thruway’s namesake — donated land valued at $3.5 million for the project, while the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development approved a $2.87 million grant.

Cranberry leaders should be commended for seeing this project through at a low cost for taxpayers and with the support of the community.