CRANBERRY TWP — Plans could move forward next month with the Mine Safety Appliances Thruway.

Township supervisors will advertise for bids for the project's construction at their June 6 regular meeting, per a motion at Thursday's agenda work session.

Estimated at $14 million, the thruway will connect Cranberry Springs and developments north of Route 228 with MSA and access from Interstate 79 into the Cranberry Springs development.

The Cranberry Spring development includes the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

Ron Henshaw, director of planning and development services for the township, said the project has been in the works for a few years with the goal of alleviating traffic concerns.

“We look at traffic in the long term,” Henshaw said. “Now it's coming to fruition.”

Township Manager Jerry Andree said funding for the project has come from a number of sources, including developers on both sides of the thruway, the township and state grants.

He said MSA donated the land for the thruway. He said the land was valued near $3 million.

“They've been a wonderful partner in our community,” Andree said.

He said the project should allow traffic to flow more freely.

“The plan is to prevent I-79 and (Route) 228 from blockages,” Andree said.

Thursday's meeting included three uneventful public hearings with no public comments.

Supervisors did not ask additional questions during the hearings for three developments: an indoor dog park on Rochester Road, JP Morgan Chase Bank developing a former Sheetz on Freedom Road and revisions to the Charter Homes development of the Meeder land.

Regarding the Charter Homes development, Watermark Residential, which bought development rights to phase 4 of the overall project, brought representatives from its headquarters in Indiana to discuss revisions to the master plan.

Henshaw said for formality the township always votes on final approval of revised plans when one developer allows another developer into the fold on a project.

“We make them revise the master plan,” Henshaw said.

He said Charter Homes undertook the multiyear project with 11 phases in its master plan.

Henshaw said Watermark's changes added parking, which was a concern township officials had with the original plans.

Jessica Tuttle, senior director of development for Watermark Residential, said since 2010 the developer has built about 40 projects across the U.S.

“We're very excited to get involved in Cranberry Township,” Tuttle said. “We're happy to be plugged in with the Meeder master plan at the right time.”

Due to Watermark's revisions, supervisors intend to vote for final approval of phase 4 at the next regular meeting on June 6.