Cranberry MSA Thruway Opening Set

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Navigating the traffic congestion around the township will become easier next month with the opening of the $12 million MSA Thruway underneath Route 228.

The thruway connects Interstate 79 to Cranberry Springs and Cranberry Springs to Cranberry Woods. Roundabouts on each side will keep traffic moving, taking as many as 1,350 vehicles off I-79 and 700 vehicles off Route 228 during peak times, according to traffic studies.

The project also eliminates the difficult “weave” merge from I-79 to Route 228. Motorists no longer will need to cross four lanes of traffic to get to Cranberry Springs.

The thruway, paid for primarily with state and federal money, is named after MSA Safety, a longtime business staple in the township that donated much of the land for the thruway.

Featuring bike and pedestrian lanes, the project also makes the Route 228 corridor a walkable business center. With that increased connectivity for both motorists and pedestrians, it plans for the anticipated additional growth in the undeveloped area north of Route 228 and what township officials believe is the potential creation of thousands of full-time jobs.

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