Mars, PA (April 8) - PENNDOT Engineering District 10, in partnership with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, is announcing that a public meeting will be held on Monday, November 18, 2002, to present preliminary alternatives that will be carried forward for further study for the State Route 228 improvement project in Butler County.

The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Mars Area Middle School, 1775 Three Degree Road, Mars, PA. Residents and media are encouraged to attend. Representatives from PENNDOT and its project-engineering consultant, KCI Technologies, Inc, of Mechanicsburg, PA, will also be available to provide information about the project. Formal presentations will be conducted throughout the evening.

It is important to note the project is in the early stages of preliminary design and, at this point, is still considered to be a study. No determinations or decisions have been made on what specific improvements or alternatives are needed to ease congestion and improve safety on the Route 228 corridor from Cranberry Township to Middlesex Township in southern Butler County.

The remaining preliminary alternatives that will be presented have been developed through input provided by the project's Community Advisory Committee (CAC). At a public meeting in August, 18 different alternatives were presented including online and offline corridors. Based on comments from that meeting and preliminary impacts, several of the alternatives will not be carried forward for further study. The remaining alternatives will be presented at the November 18 public meeting. PENNDOT is encouraging residents to attend the meeting to provide input on the proposed project and alternatives.

The process to develop the alternatives began last year when volunteers were chosen from the community to serve on the CAC. CAC members are selected from the local and regional area to best represent a cross section of people who have an interest in the project. CAC members have met on a regular basis with representatives from PENNDOT and the consulting firm to keep the community active in the project's development. By forming a partnership with PENNDOT, CAC members play a vital role in delivering a project that best meets the needs of the overall community. Members of the Route 228 CAC will be present at the meeting to discuss the project alternatives and the process used to develop them.

The meeting location is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Persons with disabilities requiring special assistance to attend the meeting should contact PENNDOT's Office of Community Relations at (724) 357-2829.

For more information on the Route 228 Improvement Project, visit www.Route228.com.