Wal-Mart wants to talk with Ross officials about stop lights or other street improvements before it does any more planning for a store on busy McKnight Road.

News about the project came to light after the company sent a letter to township commissioners soliciting feedback on possible changes in traffic patterns on McKnight Road, just north of Siebert Road.

A decision on opening a store in Ross would not affect Wal-Mart's on-going plans to construct a Super Center on Ohio River Boulevard, also known as Route 65, in Kilbuck.

Wal-Mart executives believe Pittsburgh's northern and western suburbs could support stores in Kilbuck, Ross and Moon, said Jim Davis, the company's senior manager of public affairs for Pennsylvania. Wal-Mart recently bought the West Hills Shopping Center in Moon, but has not announced any plans for that 21-acre property.

Mr. Davis said project planning was in its earliest stages for the store in Ross.

Wal-Mart owns more than 12 acres near McKnight Road. The tract includes 9.35 acres on which a now closed Sam's Club stands. Wal-Mart closed its McKnight Road Sam's Club last year after it opened a new, larger warehouse store about 3 miles away at Mount Nebo Pointe in Ohio Township. Wal-Mart Stores East, a real-estate subsidiary of the giant retailer, also acquired 3.1 acres occupied by a shuttered Chi-Chi's restaurant in January. That property has several hundred feet of frontage on McKnight Road.

At least one Ross commissioner had concerns that another store would worsen traffic problems on McKnight Road.

If a new traffic light were installed for Wal-Mart, it would be only about 1,000 feet north of the existing signals at McKnight and Siebert roads, Commissioner Chris Eyster said.

Wal-Mart was willing to consider -- and pay all costs for -- traffic signals, turning lanes or other infrastructure changes township officials thought necessary, said Mr. Davis.

"We have not formalized any plans, and we want to work with the township on what they think would be most appropriate," he said. "We want to have a conversation with officials before we bring in any plans."

Wal-Mart ran into opposition over plans to open a Supercenter on the grounds of the former Dixmont State Hospital in Kilbuck.

A citizens group called "Communities First!" filed court challenges and warned of traffic and safety problems.

Site preparation work has been delayed since a Sept. 19 landslide sent about half a million cubic yards of earth and stone across the four lanes of Route 65 and three adjoining Norfolk Southern Railway lines.

One lane of Route 65 northbound remains closed while efforts continue to stabilize and monitor the hillside.