Penn Township announced Friday, May 17, that work will soon commence on the upgrade to the traffic signals at the intersection of Route 8 and Airport Road.

Starting at 7 a.m. Monday, May 20, crews from M&B Services will begin installing underground conduits for the new traffic lights to be installed at the intersection.

The work is part of a long-awaited project to improve safety at an intersection which has previously been the site of several crashes over the past few years, some of which have been fatal.

The revamped intersection will feature new left turn lanes, pedestrian crossings, refreshed traffic lights and improved lighting.

M&B Services, a contracting firm based in Clarion, was awarded the contract in January for just under $500,000.

The project was made possible with a $450,000 grant the township received in 2022 from the state Department of Transportation’s Automated Red Light Enforcement program, and the township has since received an additional $50,000 Local Use Grant from Butler County.

A notice sent by township Supervisor Samuel Ward advised residents to proceed with caution as they travel through the intersection. Ward added the township expects the traffic poles to be fabricated by September and for the light to be installed three weeks after that.

“We trust this temporary inconvenience will lead to a permanent improvement,” wrote Ward.