|
HARRISBURG, PA. (April 14, 2005) - A 65-mile-long stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from the Breezewood Exit (#161) to the Carlisle Exit (#226) will be completely shutdown for five hours late in the evening on Saturday, April 16 and into the early morning of Sunday, April 17.
All westbound vehicles will be detoured off the Turnpike at Carlisle and eastbound vehicles will be detoured off at Breezewood beginning at 11:30 p.m. Exiting motorists will receive an alternate-route card - featuring directions to get back onto the Turnpike - from a collector at the tollbooth. E-ZPass customers should stop to obtain a copy of these directions, too.
The shutdown - during which construction crews will remove steel girders from an overhead bridge that is being razed - will be in effect until 5 a.m. This closure is necessary to safeguard construction workers and Turnpike customers while a crane removes steel beams from the bridge, which is located at Milepost 215 in Upper Frankford Township, Cumberland County.
The alternate route is approximately 106 miles long and will take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours to drive. The specific detour routes for the closure are as follows:
· Westbound exiting at Carlisle: Take Route 11 North to Interstate 81 South (58 miles) into Maryland to Interstate 70 West (I-81, Exit MD #4, 48 miles) to Route 30 East (.3 miles) and reenter Turnpike at Breezewood.
· Eastbound exiting at Breezewood: Follow Route 30 West (.3 miles) to Interstate 70 East (I-70 exit MD #26, 48 miles) to Interstate 81 North (58 miles) to Route 11 South and reenter Turnpike at Carlisle.
Although access to and from the Sideling Hill, Blue Mountain and Plainfield service plazas will be prohibited during this time, all services will remain in operation during the shutdown for customers who wish to wait in the plazas.
Motorists traveling on this stretch of Turnpike are urged to use caution and remain alert for stoppages beginning Saturday through Sunday. To get current information on conditions across the Turnpike visit www.paturnpike.com; on the road, tune into Highway Advisory Radio at 1640AM.
|
