Stretch of Three Degree Road in Butler County closed for pedestrian safety improvements

BUTLER COUNTY, Pa. — A busy stretch of Three Degree Road is blocked and shut down to traffic. PennDOT tells Channel 11 it’s just a short closure with big gains as part of a massive improvement project surrounding the Mars Area Schools.

“It’s slow, you just got to be careful. There’s a lot of stops,” said nearby resident Wendy Gilbertson.

New road closures for the area along Route 228 in Adams Township have felt very frequent.

“I like all the development and a lot of new stores and everything coming, but it’s crazy right now, so we just try to work around it in the evenings, and the weekends aren’t bad, it’s just when they are working,” Gilbertson said.

>>> Detour set for Three Degree Road in Butler County during safety improvement project <<<

This latest road closure provides limited access to Mars Area High School but is expected to reopen by Aug. 11. PennDOT said this portion of the project will bring sidewalks and guide rails, along with turning lanes and clear markings for this new area.

It’s part of the safety improvements drivers said are needed for this corridor.

“That’s a bad intersection, especially with the kids at the Mars School District,” said Jim Wilhelm with Adams Township. “They have the sports teams go from the high school to the middle school. That’s not real safe, especially with a four-lane road.”

Students have only been walking along the roads more frequently since the additions of GetGo and Sheetz in the area.

PennDOT said these changes to Three Degree will help slow down the traffic and provide clear walkways for pedestrians in the area.

For now, PennDOT and the school district encourage people to pay attention to the detours as work continues.

“It’s nice, but it’s changing the whole complexion of the lower townships of Butler County,” Wilhelm said. “It’s taking away the rural elements and making it more urbanized, but that’s progress.”

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