The Town of Granville and other University Town Centre stakeholders got a little sticker shock when the price tag for two new traffic light systems came in over double the original estimate.
The initial price tag was expected to be around $600,000 to $700,000. The official estimate is over $1.5 million.
Looking back, the original numbers do seem low. A little researching shows it’s not uncommon for traffic lights and their installations to cost as much as $500,000 for one intersection — and the UTC project is looking at two intersections, each consisting of at least five lanes and will need four sets of lights (one for each entrance to the intersection). So we’re not surprised the updated sticker price is well over $1 million. But we know it will be worth every penny.
Despite the 25-miles-per-hour posted speed limit, it’s not unusual for drivers to speed along at 35-50 mph, especially going downhill on the backside of the UTC. The combination of speed, multiple lanes to cross and low visibility have made the University Town Centre one of the most car-wreck-prone areas in the Greater Morgantown area.
We first editorialized in May 2022 on the dangerous intersection between Walmart and WVU Medicine on University Town Centre Drive and the even more dangerous intersection between Granville Square and Sesame Drive, with the hotel on one side and take-out restaurants on the other. In the one-year period leading up to that editorial, there had been eight reported accidents just on the stretch between Granville Square and Sesame Drive. (And many more unreported accidents, we’re sure.)
According to MECCA 911, since January 2023, there have been 14 accidents at the Sesame Drive intersection alone. In total, there are been 167 accidents along the whole stretch of University Town Centre Drive. (It’s hard to say how many, exactly, happened between Walmart and WVU Medicine, because those are not named cross-streets.)
Anything that can be done to reduce the number of accidents (and near misses) at these intersections will be well worth the investment. We’re glad to hear Granville, the Monongalia County Commission and WestRidge developers are still committed to getting the job done, despite the increased cost — because safety and peace of mind are priceless.
