Major Upgrade To Begin At Newtown Borough Intersection

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A major intersection upgrade is scheduled to begin on Monday at Lincoln and Washington Avenues.

In December, the borough council awarded a $500,473 base bid to Armour & Sons Electric for an upgrade to the busy intersection.

The project will include the replacement of antiquated standards with new poles and signal heads, new LED countdown pedestrian signals and pavement markings, and the construction of new ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) curb ramps.

“There may be times when one or two crosswalks will be closed while work is taking place on the ADA ramps,” said Council President Emily Heinz. She recommends that pedestrians cross at Chancellor and Washington or at Greene and Lincoln during the closures. “Do not cross mid-block Washington,” she said.

The improvements are aimed at reducing congestion on Washington Avenue, making the intersection safer for pedestrian crossings, and upgrading aging equipment and poles.

Among the new pedestrian accommodations will be a leading pedestrian interval (LPI), which will allow pedestrians to enter the crosswalk 3 to 7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. The LPI allows pedestrians to better establish their presence in the crosswalk before
vehicles are given the go-ahead to turn right or left.

The intersection of Washington and Lincoln avenues in Newtown Borough. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

A portion of the project will be paid for through a $271,000 grant awarded to the borough in 2021 through PennDOT's Greenlight Go program. The successful grant was written by former councilwoman Nicole Rodowicz.

The light standards and equipment at the intersection are nearly 50 years old and need to be replaced, according to borough engineer Michelle Fountain.

Among the issues debated by the council in December was whether to spend an extra $80,000 for fluted, more decorative mast arms, similar to the ones at Washington and State. The more decorative standards were requested by the adjacent neighbors who didn’t want the intersection to have a standard highway look.

After some discussion, the Council voted to approve Amour’s bid for the more decorative standards.