Before any safety-related or congestion management-related highway project requested by any institution of higher education is undertaken in the Commonwealth, the institution of higher education shall conduct at least one public hearing to afford owners of property in the vicinity of the project and users of highways in the vicinity of or likely to be affected by the project an opportunity to submit comments and make their views known regarding the project.

Not less than 30 days prior to any such hearing, a notice of the time and place of the hearing shall also be published by the institution of higher education at least once in a newspaper published or having a general circulation in the locality in which the project is to be located and established.