Denis Newbold, Board Member
Elk Creeks Watershed Association, P.O. Box 93, Lewisville, PA 19351
Telephone: 610-268-2153, ext. 227
E-mail: newbold@stroudcenter.org

Planning Organization: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, October 15, 1999

Project Name: Route 41 Improvement Project

Location: PA State Route 41 from Delaware State line to PA Route 926

Summary:

In keeping with its mission of preserving and enhancing the quality of water and other critical natural resources of the Elk Creeks valley, and with concern for the sprawl-inducing aspects of highway expansion, the Elk Creeks Watershed Association recommends a high-priority, but low-cost, initiative for improvement of Route 41 that would target safety hazards without major increase in capacity.

Description of Problem and Proposed Solution:

The Elk Creeks Watershed Association is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of water and other critical natural resources within the watershed of the Elk Creeks in Southern Chester County. The Big Elk Creek is classified under the State of Pennsylvania's Clean Water Act as High Quality waters. The stream supports a diverse species list of benthic macroinvertebrates and fishes, including the migratory blueback herring and the locally rare mottled sculpin. It lies in a picturesque valley, supports active recreational angling, educational activities, and other casual uses including canoeing, picnicking, and swimming. The stream is a major water supply for the city of Elkton, Maryland. On the basis of a study now being conducted, the Watershed Association has reached the conclusion urban sprawl presents the major challenge to preserving water future water quality in the Big Elk.

The headwaters of the Big Elk Creek lie within the Route 41 corridor in the vicinity of PA Route 926. The corridor in this region is largely agricultural with very little residential or commercial development.

Route 41 currently experiences accident and mortality rates that are substantially higher than statewide averages, and suffers congestion in the vicinity of Avondale Borough. Safety improvements are urgently needed. However, the Route 41 Improvement Project, as currently budgeted, would add two additional travel lanes and bypass two villages, thus providing substantial excess capacity through the year 2020. The Elk Creeks Watershed Association is concerned the excess capacity will open the headwater region of the Big Elk Creek to a major increase in development pressure, placing the quality of surface and ground waters, as well as other natural amenities, at risk. We note that the effect of highway expansion on the rate of residential and commercial development has been well documented by technical studies, and that this effect is large. We further observe that the Route 41 corridor, which links employment centers to the largest remaining undeveloped region of Chester County, would be particularly vulnerable to such pressures.

Therefore the Elk Creeks Watershed Association recommends that the funds allotted to the Route 41 Improvement Project be reduced to a level commensurate with necessary safety improvements and localized congestion relief within the Borough of Avondale. We further recommend that the needed safety improvements be given highest priority.

Impacts and Costs: Far below those of expansion to four lanes and major new alignments.