$12 million tunnel approved in Cranberry Township

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A $12 million tunnel will soon be built under Route 228 in Cranberry Township.

The MSA Thruway project will connect Interstate 79 to the Cranberry Springs development.

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According to township officials, the board of supervisors approved a contract with Allegheny Excavating Inc. for the project during a meeting Thursday.

Work is expected to begin in the spring. It includes the tunnel itself, ramps, a roundabout connecting the project at Cranberry Woods and sidewalks, officials said.

The project should be completed by the end of 2021.

Traffic on Route 228 will be maintained throughout the project, which follows a master plan developed in 1995 for the future of the Route 228 Corridor, officials said.

"I think it's a great idea, but they're already expanding it … like, widening it, and that has alleviated it a lot, but they are also building more developments," Shanie Miller, of Mars, said. "It's a nightmare every day."

Courtney Gross, of Harmony, still has concerns about the construction's impact on traffic.

"Traffic here is usually, generally pretty bad, especially with holidays, but I'm afraid construction is going to make traffic worse, at least temporarily," Gross said.

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