McKnight Road Construction Creates Headache for Many

McKnight Road may be living up to its nickname -- “McKnightmare” -- these days, especially after dark.

Starting at 8 p.m. every evening since Aug. 19, there have been lane closures along the busy corridor of McKnight from past Ross Park Mall.

The closures are necessary due to construction by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as part of an $8.8 million project to upgrade McKnight.

“This project is a long time in coming,” said Jim Struzzi, PennDOT spokesman.

It isn’t going to be over anytime soon.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 29, traffic will be reduced to a single lane in each direction from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday nights and from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights for milling and resurfacing.

The closures will affect the section of McKnight Road from Babcock Boulevard to Perrysmont Road. There may be additional short-term closures on side streets and intersections.

“We know this is an inconvenience, but this is the time when there is the least amount of traffic. Our only other alternative is to do it during the day, and that would be worse,” Struzzi said.

The work is expected to continue through Sept. 29.

While the construction will bring much-needed improvements to the highway, it also means major delays for area residents and commuters, especially those who work at the Ross Park Mall during the evening.

Valerie Hildenbrand, of Ross Township, works at the mall. She has found that when the mall closes at 9 p.m., the traffic backs up due to departures of those who work at the mall and late shoppers. What should be a five-minute commute sometimes takes as much as 45 minutes, she said.

“Traffic leaving Ross Park Mall was managed so badly last night,” she said of the situation Thursday evening.

According to Hildenbrand, one young woman actually got out of her car, walked down to a police officer directing traffic, and berated him for several minutes.

“It was awful. He had to pretty much stop what he was doing, and that made it even worse,” she said.

Others in the traffic line were blowing their horns, turning around and shouting out their windows, Hildenbrand said.

According to Hildenbrand, the employees at the various shops received little to no notice about any potential traffic issues.

“We had a pre-recorded message (at the store where she is employed) that said police would be directing traffic, but having only one officer is hardly helping,” she said.

Like others who must drive in that area, Hildenbrand knows the work on McKnight is necessary, but she said she believed the traffic should be managed more effectively.

“After working on your feet for eight hours, you are exhausted, and then to sit in traffic like this makes it worse,” she said.

Ross Park Mall Manager Lisa Earl said mall officials did receive notices from PennDOT several months ago and passed the information on to the individual stores in the mall.

“Obivously, we can’t notify every employee at every store. That is up to the stores,” she said.

Earl said she has received only a handful of complaints from stores and shoppers.

“I would say it is less than five,” she said.

The traffic troubles aren’t limited to after 8 p.m.

Norm Szalkowski, of Ross, and his wife must travel McKnight every day while commuting to and from work.

“Right now, it reminds us of Christmas traffic,” he said. “We live probably seventh-tenths of a mile from the mall and had to run up there the other night — it took us over 30 minutes to get out of there.”

Due to the construction farther down McKnight and on Thompson Run, Szalkowski’s commute has become much harder in the last few weeks.

“It used to take us about 12 minutes to get into town, thanks to the HOV lane, but now it takes us about 20 minutes just to get to the lane if we are lucky,” he said.

 transportation coordinator Gloria Maurer said the district plans no changes to its bus schedules.

“During the day, I don't anticipate any issues other than regular (non-construction) traffic along McKnight. The construction to date has been done during evening hours after rush hours,” she said.

Maurer said First Student, the district's transportation company, said it did not anticipate additional problems with the McKnight Road construction. 

Ross Township Commissioner Chris Eyster said he was pleasantly surprised at how few complaints he had received.

“I think people understand that construction takes time, and they know there is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

Eyster said the headaches with traffic in the area right now are worth it in the long run.

“The condition of McKnight Road was so bad and these improvements are much needed,” he said. “And given the state of financial concerns in our state, I am very thankful this work is even getting done.”

Overall, the inconveniences now will help Ross later, he said.

“Our roads will be safer and we will be more economically attractive to new businesses.”

But it is a light at the end of the tunnel that is hard for drivers such as Szalkowski to see.

“We live so close and convenient to everything, but we just can’t get there,” he joked.