Mars Area School Board voted 9-0 to accept bids for the construction of a new Mars Area Middle School access road and the realignment of the Davidson Road/Meredith Drive intersection.

The bids were awarded to Independence Excavating Inc. in the amount of $978,016.75 for the construction of the access road, which will connect the Mars Area Middle School parking lot to Davison Road at its intersection with Meredith Drive; and, $221,689.75 for the intersection reconfiguration project.

As part of its Gateway 228 project, PennDOT plans to make improvements along Route 288, including the addition of turning lanes at its intersection with Three Degree Road, immediately adjacent to the Mars Area Middle School campus, said Jeff Mikesic of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc. (HRG). The project will require the closure of the current middle school entrance along Three Degree Road; therefore, the Board began to investigate alternatives for relocating the school main entrance.

The project will include a 24-foot wide, 1,000-foot long access road, located immediately to the west of the Baseball Field and Mars Athetic Complex, said Mikesic. A sidewalk and lighting will line the access road and the project will also include improvements to the baseball field parking area.

The realignment project will create a new four-way intersection, realigning Meredith Drive and squaring it up with Davidson Road, said Mikesic, noting that the intersection will be designed to accommodate school buses.

The total cost of both projects is $1,199,706.50. Construction is expected to begin immediately following the end of the 2021-2022 School Year. For more information, call (724) 625-1518.