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TRAVEL ADVISORY:
Turnpike Suspends Road Work for Easter
Holiday Rush
No
single-lane patterns planned on Turnpike until Monday April 1.
HARRISBURG,
PA. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officials today announced
that all maintenance activities and construction projects on the Turnpike
will be suspended to provide maximum use of the roadway during the busy
Easter holiday. More than 1 million vehicles are expected to travel the
Turnpike in the three-day period from Friday through Sunday.
All maintenance work will be banned beginning at 3 p.m. today until 6 a.m.
on Tuesday April 2. During the weekend, maintenance crews will focus on
responding to customer assistance calls and roadway emergencies.
Roadway construction work will also be put on hold to provide at least four
available lanes on the entire Turnpike beginning today through Sunday.
On Monday April 1, a 3-mile, single-lane construction pattern will be
established in both directions just east of the Somerset Interchange,
#10/110. The westbound single-lane condition will begin Monday April 1 at 8
a.m. and run until it is lifted on Wednesday April 3 at 3 p.m. The eastbound
single-lane condition will begin Monday April 1 at 3 p.m. and run until it
is lifted on Friday April 5 at 3 p.m.
When approaching and driving in the single lane, motorists should turn on
their headlights, use both lanes up to the merge point, maintain speed and
keep ample distance from the vehicle ahead.
As the Easter weekend nears, the Turnpike Commission reminds motorists to
drive cautiously, remain alert to changing patterns, buckle up and take
breaks to avoid drowsiness. Motorists should be aware of the potential for
slow-moving traffic due to the heavy volumes, especially today, Friday and
Sunday. Extra state troopers will patrol the Turnpike, strictly enforcing
traffic and seatbelt laws and aiding stranded motorists.
In the event of an emergency, customers will be informed through the
Turnpike’s Variable Message Sign and Highway Advisory Radio Systems. In an
emergency, call boxes provide a direct link to Turnpike dispatchers in
Harrisburg. To obtain assistance, mobile phone users can dial *11.
Before departing, Turnpike travelers can check current roadway and weather
conditions by calling 1-800-331-3414 or logging onto www.paturnpike.com.
To further enhance safety during this heavily traveled period, oversized and
overweight trucks will be forbidden on the Turnpike from sundown tonight
through sunrise on Tuesday April 2.
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