N. Annville Twp. supervisors request change to intersection safety plan

A planned highway construction project at Hill Church Road and Thompson Avenue in North Annville Township has hit another temporary roadblock.

PennDOT officials have made changes to the plan in the past – and are contemplating another requested revision – concerning safety enhancements there.

LebTown has learned the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation intends to open bids in late October for a project that was originally slated to start this spring and be completed by the fall. One reason for the delay was the closure of nearby Clear Spring Road, also in North Annville Township.

PennDOT District 8 spokesman Mike Crochunis said in an email that bids are scheduled to be opened on Oct. 22. 

There’s also been a recent request made by North Annville officials concerning the latest plan to improve safety there. Although supervisors originally supported construction of rumble strips leading into the intersection, residents’ opposition to that part of the plan has caused them to change their minds.

In a letter dated March 25, 2025, supervisors expressed support for various proposed remedies, including rumble strips on both roadways leading into the intersection, which has been the site of numerous vehicle accidents. Because of residents who oppose the plan, however, supervisors changed course and issued a letter dated May 15, 2026, asking PennDOT officials to consider removing them from the plan. 

Supervisors wrote that residents “expressed concern regarding substantial quality of life degradation due to their constant exposure to the significant and perpetual noise which will result from vehicles crossing the proposed rumble strips. The Township Supervisors share the concern of the residents and feel that elimination of the proposed rumble strips is the only effective method which will resolve the noise issue.”

Crochunis told LebTown that the latest letter from supervisors was received and is under consideration by the design team. He added that the current plan, which is in the final design phase, calls for “adding a four-way stop, flashing beacon, rumble strips and roadway grading and widening to improve site distance.”

Kenneth Beam, who lives on the southwestern corner of the intersection, said he’s losing about 10 feet of his property along Thompson Avenue and Hill Church Road and 35 feet of his driveway to improve sight distance. He said the road will be lowered by 2.5 feet. 

PennDOT holds a rider on the deed that gives them the right to use the land, Beam said. “So when I go to sell this property, somebody’s gonna say, ‘Oh, what’s this?’ Because PennDOT is now gonna own this. And the same with the farmer here (across Thompson Avenue), I’m sure.” 

A township supervisor told LebTown that PennDOT holds right-of-way access to the land, meaning the state can take it via eminent domain.

Beam said he has been offered a price for the land to be condemned, but added he’s “absolutely not” happy with the figure because it is worth less than the five trees he purchased and planted within the 10-foot right-of-way slated for condemnation.

Beam also opposes the rumble strips and has told PennDOT he believes they should use speed humps instead. 

“So my biggest concern is there’s going to be a lot of work when they could probably fix this by maybe just putting flashing lights in. And I wanted speed bumps,” Beam said. “You can see how the people are coming down there. I mean, they’re down-shifting. I mean, this is what we go through. This is what we go through all day.”

The “what we go through” comment was in reference to a car entering the intersection with a modified muffler, which makes vehicles give off a loud, rumbling sound. Beam said there would be less overall noise with speed humps, and he would like to see the speed limit lowered on the two roads to accommodate them. 

That, however, is not a move that PennDOT plans to make, according to Crochunis. 

“There is a series of five rumble strips in each approach to the intersection. The Township requested to add rumble strips to the project which was also supported by feedback received during the public comment period,” Crochunis wrote. “Speed humps are appropriate for posted speed limits of 30 MPH or less (Thompson Ave is posted at 40 MPH, and Hill Church Rd is posted at 45 MPH). Speed humps are not appropriate where the average operating speed (85th percentile) is 45 mph or more.”

Beam disagrees with the speed limit needed for a roadway to have speed humps. 

“I can tell you Ono has speed humps and the speed limit on the road is 35,” Beam said. “His statement is wrong and I even put that in a note that Ono has these speed bumps and he’s still insistent that the max is 30 (mph) when I can show you in Lebanon County speed humps through a 35-mile-an-hour zone.”

Crag George, who lives along Hill Church Road and is co-owner of Annville Inn Bed & Breakfast, also wants speed bumps and a lower speed limit on a road he refers to as “Hill Church Speedway.”

“We would rather hear the chirps of birds and children’s laughter than ‘burump burump burump burump’ all day long,” Craig said. “Unfortunately, you’re not going to get rid of the cars with the big stove-pipe mufflers that for some reason have to drive with the foot flat to the floor – unless we have a slower speed limit and speed bumps.”

LebTown asked Crochunis about the discrepancy between the speed limit in Ono that has speed bumps and Beam’s statement to PennDOT noting the roadway there has a lower posted speed limit. 

He wrote, “This project cannot install speed bumps due to the current posted speed limit. This was explained to the resident via email dated April 29, 2026.” He added, “There are no inconsistencies in the PennDOT policy.”

When asked why PennDOT is not considering lowering the speed limit on Hill Church Road, Crochunis wrote: “This project will regrade the roadway to improve site distance, allowing drivers plenty of time to slow down when traffic is backed up.

The latest development is more in a series of issues surrounding planned traffic safety improvements to this intersection that were announced in January 2025. 

PennDOT’s planned improvements included taking a portion of nearby farmer Jim Hoffman’s preserved farmland. After LebTown reported his and other opposition to the proposal, PennDOT announced in May 2025 that a new plan was being pursued.

“To address comments received during the public comment period, the project will consist of an all-way stop intersection, lowering the vertical curve along the east leg of Hill Church Road, an intersection control beacon (i.e. overhead flashing red light), and roadway rumble strips on all roadway approaches to the intersection,” Dave Thompson, community relations coordinator for PennDOT’s District 8 wrote in an email at that time. “Roadway widths and shoulders will be widened to PennDOT standards.”  

It’s unknown when PennDOT officials will make a decision on rumble strips. A question on the proposed distance between them was not answered by Crochunis as of publication.