2021 Detour Planned For Route-288 Near Zelienople Airport

No worries for those last minute shoppers heading to Cranberry Township via Route-288 thru Zelienople.

The realignment project of State Route 288 near the Zelienople Municipal Airport will not be causing a detour to impact traffic until beginning May 2021 according to PennDOT spokesperson Steve Cowan.

“The detour is anticipated to begin in mid-May and last most of the construction season,” said Cowan. “The end date has not been determined because the schedule has not be finalized yet.  The design consultant thinks they will have additional info on the schedule at some point next week.”

The construction is part of a complex project that is realigning and lowering the roadway to accommodate FAA clearance requirements for night-time operations on the airport’s runway approach. The project is being completed as part of a Mulitmodel Transportation funding grant.

The realignment of 1,740-feet of landscape will eliminate a reverse curve posted with an advisory speed limit and improve stopping sight distance to meet minimum requirements. The realignment of 1,247-feet of State Route 1010 includes widening lanes and improving the stopping sight distances to meet minimum requirements. The overall roadway will be lowered by as much as 30 feet and the intersection will be lowered by 25 feet.

The tentative construction schedule will begin in Winter 2020 with a notice to proceed scheduled for Spring 2o21 and project completion planned for Fall 2021.

The design consultant thinks they will have additional info on the schedule at some point next week.

State Route 288 and State Route 1010 will be closed during the entire duration of the project to expedite construction operations. A posted detour will be available to motorists.  Cars heading toward Zelienople on 288 will take Old Furnace Road to Hartzell Church Road to Route 588. The detour to the south will be the reverse. Trucks will have to use Route 65 to 588.

Theories and rumors would have drivers believe that construction project is to expand the airport runway for FedEx and UPS type planes for their nearby fulfillment centers, but Airport Manager, David Holman said that’s simply not true.