CRANBERRY TWP — Traffic management plans for the proposed Henderson Crossing development were unveiled at a planning commission meeting Monday, Nov. 24.

After providing initial plans for the development last month, project consultants outlined a set of improvements they say will improve management of traffic flow once the complex is constructed.

The presentation centered on how vehicles would move through the 44.5-acre development at the northeast corner of Route 228 and Franklin Road that would include a 159,000-square-foot Meijer grocery store.

Cranberry’s Planning Commission unanimously approved preliminary land development and conditional use applications, sending it to the board of supervisors for their consideration.

According to Ron Henshaw, the township’s director of planning and development services, supervisors will vote on those plans at the upcoming Dec. 11 meeting.

Henderson Crossing is also set to include a Meijer Express convenience store, eight four-story residential buildings and multiple restaurants.

Henshaw said PennDOT is “principally satisfied” with the traffic strategy after consultants submitted their traffic impact study. Staff support, he said, is rooted in the fact the development’s improvements will roll out at the same time as two major PennDOT projects planned for the corridor.

“We have a significant amount of improvement that the developer is proposing, but they’re also coinciding with Franklin Road and Route 228 upgrades,” Henshaw said.

He also noted PennDOT’s ongoing Franklin Road widening project is tentatively scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2026.

Traffic consultants for Meijer presented a series of roadway changes designed to sync up with an ongoing PennDOT project that involves widening a three-mile stretch of Route 228, which does not currently have construction funding.

The plan includes converting existing access points, adding turn lanes and installing a new signal that would serve both the development and North Catholic High School.

Among the largest changes is the transformation of Rebecca Lane into a full-access, signalized intersection. The new intersection will feature two exit lanes, one entry lane, a left-turn pocket and a dedicated traffic signal.

On Franklin Road, meanwhile, a three-quarter access drive is proposed to allow right-in, right-out and left-in movements, supported by a southbound left-turn lane created through road widening. A second full-access entrance on Franklin, which would be a primary entry point for Meijer, will also include a new left-turn lane.

A final access point will connect to Hillmont Drive in the rear of the site. That tie-in will include additional Franklin Road improvements such as extending the southbound left-turn lane into Hillmont.

Developers also detailed the pedestrian access throughout the site.

Sidewalks will run along Franklin Road, Hillmont Drive and the perimeter of the development, helping tie Henderson Crossing into the township’s broader pedestrian network and supporting its walkable “20-minute community” goals.