A $14.5 million PennDOT plan to reconfigure the Wexford Flats area of Route 19 will be a blessing for businesses and motorists once it's finished, but the inevitable traffic headaches that construction will cause are going to make for a tough two years, say most people familiar with the area.

"It's one of those necessary things that needs to be done, and there's no easy way to accomplish it," said Mary Margaret Fisher, executive director of the Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's offices have been located just off Route 19 in the middle of the flats since 1997.

When you have to travel that four-lane section of road, you learn a few things, Ms. Fisher said.

For one, you try to stay in the right-hand lanes to avoid the inevitable car making a left-hand turn across two lanes of oncoming traffic.

You also keep one eye on the car in front of yours and one eye on your rearview mirror to make sure you're not about to get rear-ended, she said.

"I get scared sometimes," she added. "I've seen two accidents happen right in front me."

The 2.25-mile section of Route 19 included in the state Department of Transportation project runs from near the top of Pine Creek hill in McCandless north to a few hundred feet beyond the intersection of Manor, North Church and North Chapel roads in Pine. PennDOT's plan is to widen Route 19 and build a center turning lane.

Scores of businesses, shopping plazas and car dealerships front the road.

The entrance to North Allegheny Senior High School is also in the flats, and the district is considering several options, including earlier pickup times and rerouted buses, to deal with traffic tie-ups during construction.

Since 2004, police have responded to nearly 500 accidents on the 1.35-mile stretch in Pine, said Bob Amann, the township's police chief.

"It's a very dangerous roadway," the chief said, adding that no other comparable stretch of road in Pine comes close to logging that many accidents. "There are accidents happening up there every day."

Dan Stack, McCandless fire marshal, said the McCandless section of the flats, which is less than a mile long, also has seen its share of accidents and fender benders.

"I'd say the majority of accidents are people trying to cross oncoming traffic," he said, adding any improvement to road would be a good thing.

The project, which has been talked about for decades and in the planning stages for more than 10 years, should improve traffic congestion tenfold, said Eric Meyer, an associate with the project's engineering and architectural firm, Whitman, Requardt and Associates in Seven Fields.

Mr. Meyer, who lives in Franklin Park and travels the flats, is intimately aware of the problems and dangers of the road. He said he'll avoid the flats if he can and is cautious when he can't.

"I do believe the entire concept and process needs to be done," he said.

So does state Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Bradford Woods.

"It's a crucial project," Mr. Turzai said last week at a PennDOT open house designed to explain and outline the state's plans. "It's maybe the most important project in Western Pennsylvania. It has to get done."

PennDOT wants to widen the existing four traffic lanes by 5 feet to 11 feet each and add a 14-foot center turning lane. That lane will become a dedicated turning lane at intersections.

Next year at this time, PennDOT expects to begin work on drainage and build a 400-foot retaining wall along North Church Road, Mr. Meyer said.

That preliminary work will not affect traffic, he added.

Actual construction is expected to begin in 2011, starting with the southern portions of the flats. PennDOT will work on the northern section in 2012.

PennDOT plans to update eight signalized intersections and install curbs, sidewalks and decorative sign poles on each side of the road, at the request of both Pine and McCandless officials, said PennDOT spokesman Shaun Werner.

The sidewalk portion of the project is federally funded but the local municipalities have to pay 20 percent of the final cost.

Affected property owners in McCandless are expected to foot that bill, but they will be given the chance to pay in installments, Manager Toby Cordek said.

In Pine, the township has been putting aside money for several years and will pay to replace existing sidewalks. The owners of newer developments, however, will have to pay their share when the time comes, said Manager Cheryl Fischer.

The municipalities also have to cover the costs of right-of-way acquisitions, Mr. Werner said.

Of the 98 property owners located in the flats, 28 have settled or are in the process of settling, he said. The remaining 70 properties are in the process of being appraised or negotiated.

Bill Swanson, owner of the Wexford Shoppes in the southern portion of the construction area, said he expected to lose 10 of the 14 parking spaces in the front of his property, which has space for four business.

There is parking behind the building, but nobody wants customers walking all the way around to the front, he said.

Mr. Swanson said he's not sure what he'll do once construction begins, but he realizes the importance of the project.

"In the end, it's going to be better," he said.

Roger Botti, North Allegheny School District director of assets, transportation and technology, also said he thinks the project will benefit the area once it's done.

The district will have to find some way to handle arrival and dismissal times at the high school during the construction phase, though.

On an average school day, 29 school buses arrive at drop-off and dismissal times and about 600 students drive to school, Mr. Botti said.

As a result, the district is considering several options to deal with traffic tie-ups during construction.

"These are earlier pickups to get to school on time, increased shuttle service and reroutes [of school buses] to avoid congestion," he said.

In addition to school days, special events must be considered, such as football games, concerts and graduation.

"We believe we will face some challenges," Mr. Botti said. "But the representatives from PennDOT and Mike Turzai's office are working with us to work things out."

Chief Amann said Mr. Turzai's office intends to arrange a meeting between the Pine and McCandless police departments to figure out the best way to handle construction traffic problems.

Ms. Fisher said businesses undoubtedly will be affected by the construction as well, but the end in this case does justify the means.

"Construction is always difficult, and there's no way around it," she said. "You just plan for it."

She said she knows of several businesses that turned away from locating along the flats, in part, because of traffic issues, so an improved roadway can only benefit the community.

"There are a lot of great businesses here, and it's a wonderful area. [The project] is a much better and safer option for everyone."

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