Media & Public Relations


COMMISSION NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Mimi Lindelow
Phone: 610-239-4117
E-mail: mlindelo@paturnpike.com
October 15, 2009
15-Minute Stoppages Scheduled on Northeastern Extension in Carbon County
Nighttime stoppages needed to place beams on the new Route 903Bridge in Penn Forest Township.

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA (Oct. 15, 2009) — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists traveling between Pocono and Mahoning Valley to be prepared for six (6) 15-minute stoppages and bi-directional, right-lane closures between 6 p.m. on Monday night, Oct. 19 and 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Oct. 20. Traffic will be stopped a maximum of 15 minutes to allow the contractor to lift several steel girders into place on the new bridge where Route 903 crosses the Turnpike at milepost A87.7.

Overnight bi-directional lane restrictions will continue on I-476, Oct. 20-21 and Turnpike travelers should anticipate slow-moving or stopped traffic when approaching this area between 6 p.m. – 7 a.m. Thursday morning. Unsuitable weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances may slow progress and result in the single-lane restrictions being extended to Friday morning.

Route 903 has remained open during construction but motorists traveling the local road on Oct. 19 should be prepared for traffic being restricted to one-lane during the placement of the new bridge beams.

Loftus Construction Inc. of Cinnaminson, N.J. was awarded the $2.2 million design/build project for the partial replacement of the bridge on May 5. The new bridge, part of a $25-$30 million E-ZPass only interchange to be completed in the fall of 2011, is located nine miles south of the Pocono Interchange (Exit #95) and 13 miles north of the Mahoning Valley Interchange (Exit #74). Construction on the ramps and ancillary roads for the new E-ZPass interchange is tentatively scheduled to begin in September 2010.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is committed to distributing complete, accurate and consistent travel information and providing exceptional customer service. Visit the PA Turnpike website at www.paturnpike.com for all Turnpike project updates. Be in the know before you go and call 866.976.TRIP (866.976.8747).

 

###