Media & Public Relations


COMMISSION NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Name: Carl DeFebo
Phone: 717-645-2265 (mobile)
June 29, 2012
  Pa. Turnpike Suspends Maintenance and Construction Work for Holiday Period

Turnpike travelers are reminded to fasten seatbelts for July Fourth week.

With 3.2 million vehicles expected on the Pennsylvania Turnpike today through July 4, the Turnpike is emphasizing safety during the upcoming Independence Day holiday, urging travelers to properly buckle up. Wearing a seatbelt helps reduce highway injuries and saves lives.

To prepare for the surge of travelers, Turnpike maintenance and construction work will be suspended beginning 3 p.m. today through 6 a.m. on July 5, and all lanes will be open to traffic except in emergencies. In the event of emergency-lane closures, the Turnpike will activate its Variable Message Signs and Highway Advisory Radio System (1640 AM) to inform motorists of conditions.

To report emergencies while travelling the Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone or deploy one of the call boxes on the shoulder. Be ready to provide your specific milepost location to the dispatcher when calling *11.

For additional safety, Turnpike maintenance will schedule extra personnel to patrol the road and help with debris removal, callbox requests, customer assistance issues and other emergencies July 2 through July 5 and also July 8.

To promote safe behavior during the Independence Day holiday, the Turnpike is sponsoring a "Safety Break" event at the King of Prussia Service Plaza in Montgomery County on Tuesday, July 3. The theme for the Safety Break is seatbelt and child-safety seat use. Turnpike safety workers will be on hand to provide relevant materials and talk to travelers about buckling up.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates an additional 9,000 lives could be saved each year if all vehicle occupants ages 5 years and older properly used restraint devices. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure passengers are buckled up.

To better plan ahead for holiday trips, Turnpike motorists can get real-time information about roadway conditions via the Turnpike Roadway Information Program, or "TRIP," by visiting www.paturnpike.com or calling 1-866-976-TRIP. Officials advise motorists headed for the Turnpike to check out conditions before they leave.

To check conditions while en route, get TRIP talk, the Droid and iPhone app for hands-free, eyes-free alerts on the Turnpike. The app is free at the iTunes Store and the Android Play Store.

 

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