Travel Advisory

    March 10, 2017
 

 

Eastbound PA Turnpike to Close Late Saturday between Breezewood, Carlisle Exits
Six-hour closure is part of overhead signage upgrade and placement of bridge beams in Cumberland County.

 

HIGHSPIRE, PA. (March 10, 2017) — A 65-mile section of the eastbound Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed Saturday, March 11 at 11:30 p.m. to Sunday, March 12 at 6:30 a.m., between the Breezewood Exit (#161) and the Carlisle Exit (#226). The closure is needed to allow workers to safely install an overhead digital message sign over the eastbound lanes of the turnpike at milepost 223.7, as well as to place bridge beams over the eastbound lanes as part of a new overhead bridge at milepost 205.35.

Alternate-route cards will be available to exiting travelers during the closure. Motorists should allow for extra travel time of about an hour during the detour. Expect higher traffic on detour roads.

The recommended detour for eastbound motorists: Exit at Breezewood, take Route 30 west (.3 miles) to I-70 east (I-70 exit MD #26, 48 miles) to I-81 north (58 miles) to Route 11 south; reenter at Carlisle Interchange (#226).

The length of the detour is required because smaller routes off the exits between Breezewood and Carlisle cannot safely accommodate traffic volumes coming off the Turnpike.

The following interchanges and ramps will be closed as noted, starting at the Breezewood Interchange at 11:30 p.m., Saturday, March 11, and proceeding eastward with the others closing as traffic clears the site.

  • Breezewood Interchange (#161) eastbound ramp will be closed to all traffic.

  • Sidling Hill Service Plaza eastbound ramp will be closed to all traffic.

  • Fort Littleton (#180) eastbound ramp will be closed to truck traffic.

  • Willow Hill (#189) eastbound ramp will be closed to truck traffic.

  • Blue Mountain (#201) eastbound ramp will be closed to all traffic.

  • Cumberland Valley Service Plaza will be closed to all traffic

  • Cars will be allowed to enter eastbound at the Fort Littleton and Willow Hill Interchanges but must exit at the Blue Mountain Interchange (#201). No truck entrance will be allowed.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania State Police in conjunction with Turnpike Maintenance will be conducting traffic paces during this time period in the westbound direction between the Carlisle and Blue Mountain interchanges. These will allow for the safe placement of overhead bridge beams at milepost 223.7. A total of seven paces are slated to occur.

A reminder that daylight savings time goes in to effect during this traffic closure resulting in a lost hour of work.

ON THE PA TURNPIKE

· Variable & Digital Message Signs — nearly 100 signs along the Turnpike

· Highway Advisory Radio — 1640 AM (tune-in near interchanges)

BY PHONE

· Turnpike Roadway Information Program (toll-free) — 866-976-TRIP (8747)

· Customer Assistance Center (toll-free) — 800-331-3414 (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

ON THE WEB

· TRIPTalk — free, travel-alert smartphone app; download at https://www.paturnpike.com/travel/trip_talk.aspx

· Travel Conditions Map — live, interactive conditions map; view at https://www.paturnpike.com/webmap

· Waze — a crowd-sourced navigation app that provides real-time traffic conditions with input from other drivers; download at https://www.waze.com

CONTACT: Rosanne Placey
Phone: 717.675.4362