Irwin Council takes no stance on Route 30 connector

Irwin officials Wednesday listened to two opponents of a proposed ramp from Route 30 into downtown Irwin, but did not take a stance on whether to support or oppose PennDOT's plans for the access road from the major highway.

“Irwin Council has no say-so. It's a PennDOT project,” Council President Rick Burdelski told the opponents of the proposed ramp that could be part of a $100 million renovation of Route 30 from Irwin to Route 48 in North Versailles.

Burdelski said he would attend any meetings held by PennDOT that discussed the Route 30 project.

A representative from PennDOT will be invited to council's workshop March 6 to discuss the project, said Valerie Morton, borough manager.

Beverly Klanchar of North Huntingdon asked council to oppose the plans because a two-lane highway would disturb Irwin Park and “will be a danger to children.” Such an “ugly” highway connecting with Pennsylvania Avenue in the area of Main Street would disturb community activities, Klanchar said.

The main entrance from Route 30 along 10th Street into downtown Irwin at Pennsylvania Avenue is adequate and would not be any longer than taking an access road from the westbound lanes of Route 30, Klanchar said.

Eric Gass, commander of the J. Howard Snyder Veterans of Foreign Wars Post of North Huntingdon, said the ramp is costly and unnecessary.

Gass is concerned the ramp would cut through Irwin's veterans memorial at the intersection with Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

“The veterans monument has been there for almost a century. To remove it would not sit well with the veterans,” Gass said.

Mike Pochan, a representative of the Irwin Business & Professional Association, said a straw poll of members taken last week showed overwhelming opposition to the proposed project. The organization, comprised mainly of owners of downtown Irwin businesses, did not take an official stance on the project.

Mayor William Hawley indicated he supported the proposed access road.

“I don't see any reason why it's bad,” Hawley said.

Some of the members were opposed to the access road because it would cut through the park and others simply were opposed to change, Pochan said.

A PennDOT representative last week said the project is in the preliminary stages of being designed and no final decision has been made on the route. The representative said the state would take into account the location of the memorials when designing the access road.

The Route 30 renovation project is several years in the future and work on the Irwin portion of the highway would be in the second phase, PennDOT has said.

Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.