News Release

More Than Two Million Vehicles Expected to Travel Pa. Turnpike Over Labor Day Weekend
Aggressive drivers will be targeted by Pa. State Police over the holiday.

With nearly 2.2 million vehicles expected to travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike over the four-day Labor Day weekend, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) advises motorists to stay alert and steer clear of aggressive drivers. Traffic is expected to be the heaviest Friday afternoon, Sept. 4, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Labor Day, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To prepare for this surge in travel, maintenance and construction activities will be suspended beginning Sept. 4 at 5 a.m. until Sept. 8 at 11 p.m. This will allow all travel lanes to be open to traffic except in the case of emergencies. Construction activity that does not impact travel lanes may continue behind concrete barriers in some areas, thereby reducing shoulder widths. However, at least two lanes in each direction will remain open except in the case of emergencies.

“We plan to have additional maintenance personnel on duty during the holiday weekend to patrol the road and assist motorists if they break down or have a problem,” says PTC Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton. “We also want drivers to stay alert and be aware of the speed limits – including in work zones – in order to keep our workers and customers safe.” 

With the heavy traffic volumes expected, Pennsylvania State Police will be increasing their patrols and enforcement efforts throughout the holiday weekend. Captain David L. Cain of Troop T, the unit responsible for patrolling the Pennsylvania Turnpike, says that the patrols and enforcement efforts will be boosted to ensure safety.

“Motorists are reminded to avoid distractions, such as texting and cell phone use. Patrols will be concentrating on aggressive driving violations such as, speeding, following too closely and unsafe lane changes,” states Captain Cain. “If you speed, tailgate or weave in and out of traffic, you may be pulled over by one of our troopers and cited.”

To promote safe driving, the Turnpike is sponsoring a Safety Break event at the Sideling Hill Service Plaza in Fulton County on Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Throughout the weekend, Turnpike maintenance crews and safety patrols will monitor the highway, ready to assist travelers in case of an accident or breakdown. To report an accident or incident, Turnpike customers should call the traffic-operations center directly by dialing *11 on a mobile phone.

The Pa. Turnpike’s Trip Talk app is also available to travelers. It streams audio advisories to iPhone and Droid users so they can keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. To download the free app, visit http://www.paturnpike.com/triptalk.

Labor Day travelers are encouraged to plan ahead before traveling by calling the Turnpike Roadway Information line, 866-976-TRIP (8747) for real-time traffic alerts or visiting the Turnpike's live Travel Conditions Map online at www.paturnpike.com.

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