RVE engineer: PennDOT requests detour plan for Gay and High Street improvements

Kelly, a traffic engineer with RVE, told the West Chester Borough Public Works Committee that PennDOT has requested a formal detour plan for improvements at the Gay and High Street intersection, and RVE will coordinate routing with borough staff and resubmit permit materials imminently.

Why it matters: The intersection was identified in RVE’s engineer report as needing repair and the borough intends to balance keeping traffic moving (aiming for at least one lane open each direction) with restrictions on some turning movements. PennDOT’s detour requirement affects phasing, lane closures and public notifications.

Council member Brian McGinnis asked what comments PennDOT had provided and when the borough should expect a permit. “We just got the comments at the end of June, and we’re working on addressing them now,” Kelly said, and she told the committee RVE planned a prompt resubmission "in the next week or two." Kelly also said PennDOT requested a detour plan to direct traffic that needs to turn elsewhere.

RVE outlined the next technical steps: a field review during peak hours to observe traffic patterns, documentation of existing conditions, and development of alternative concepts that would then be coordinated with PennDOT. “We suggested to do a field review during the peak hours and observe the existing trapping pat patterns and document the existing conditions and then develop alternative alternative concepts,” Kelly said.

Borough staff said they had received RVE’s fee proposal and would circulate the materials to committee members for review. No formal permit or construction schedule was adopted at the meeting; the committee’s next step is staff coordination with PennDOT and RVE so revised plans can be submitted and a detour strategy agreed.

The committee did not take a vote on the intersection project at the meeting; staff said they would provide updates after resubmission and after coordination with PennDOT.