Longtree Way, Signalized Intersection with Franklin Road, Open Today

After months of construction, Longtree Way will be open to motorists today, and a new traffic signal at the road’s intersection with Franklin Road will be operational.

Jason Kratsas, director of engineering, said PennDOT would switch the signal into fully-operational mode by 10 a.m. The signal has been flashing for several days.

Longtree Way is a private road through The Village of Cranberry Woods complex, the busy home to several restaurants, retail stores and the Westinghouse headquarters.

Longtree Way parallels Rt. 228 and will provide access to the complex. It exits onto Franklin Road, across the street from St. Kilian Catholic Elementary School.

is developing the property, including the still-under-construction Hilton Garden Inn on Longtree Way and Franklin Road. Kratsas said the 135-room, five-story hotel tentatively is set to open by spring.

Kratsas said the township required the developers to add the signal as part of the approval process for the first phase of The Village of Cranberry Woods, which includes the Hilton hotel and three potential restaurants.

As for Longtree Road, the township hopes providing Cranberry Woods visitors with an alternative route to access Rt. 19, Interstate-79 and the Turnpike will ease rush-hour commuter traffic on Route 228 and local traffic.

“The reason we like this is it gives people alternate alternatives to not having to drive on Route 228,” Kratsas said. “We all know with how busy 228 is, these parallel road networks are crucial.

Kratsas said the developer fully funded the road and signal project.