The WKOK Road Report
10 minutes before the hour, each weekday, during your morning commute, on Newsradio 1070 WKOK


Central Susquehanna Valley Roadwork

Click here for PennDOT's local Travelers Advisories and News Releases

SNYDER CO -- Beginning Tuesday in Snyder County, road repairs will be done on State Route 1023 (The Old Trail) from River Road to Roosevelt Avenue.

Then, on Wednesday, the Old Trail will be detoured from Roosevelt Avenue to Lincoln Avenue.

Both days, A red-arrow detour will be in place.  The closure will only be in effect during daylight hours, and local traffic will be permitted to access any homes or local businesses within the detoured area. 

UNDATED -- A number of projects begin this week on I-80, I-180 & Rt. 147 in Northumberland, Montour and Union counties:

- Work is being done on Interstate 80 in the eastbound and westbound lanes from the Limestoneville (Exit 215) on-ramp westbound to the Susquehanna River Bridge. 

- On Route 147 and Interstate 180 paving will be done one mile south of I-80 and ending at the bridge over Susquehanna Trial. 

- Work is being done on I-80 on the bridges at the Montour/Northumberland County line in both the eastbound and westbound lanes.

Traffic delays are likely during these projects, which are expected to be complete within three months.

SNYDERTOWN -- In the Snydertown Borough, a bridge on Market Street is being replaced.  The roadway will be closed, except to local traffic, for the duration of the project. The signed detour route will use Route 61, Anthracite Street, Snydertown Road and Sunbury Street. The project is scheduled for completion by August 1.

SHAMOKIN -- Crews are scheduled to replace a large drainage pipe on School House Road in Shamokin Township this Wednesday and Thursday, July 2 and 3. School House Road will be closed between its intersections with Dogwood Road and Fig Road both days between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. School House Road traffic will be detoured via Hollow Road and Irish Valley Road.

NEW COLUMBIA -- PennDOT is repaving a section of New Columbia Road White Deer and Gregg Townships, Union County. Work is underway from Shreck Road to Old Route 15. That work will be done by July 4th.

ALLENWOOD -- A section of Route 15 will be repaved after the 4th of July holiday, from the White Deer Pike overpass three miles to Columbia Road in Allenwood. There will be daytime flagging, lane restrictions and occasional delays. A September completion date is expected.

MUNCY -- On Route 405 over Muncy Creek, near the intersection with Route 442, another bridge lane will be opened to traffic this Monday, June 30. Delays will continue at the site and work is expected to be complete July 18.

SHAMOKIN DAM -- On Rt. 15 northbound from Shamokin Dam to just south of Glick Doors, left turn restrictions will begin Tuesday, July 1st.  Northbound motorists wishing to access driveways and businesses on the left will need to travel approximately eight-tenths of a mile north to the improved median crossover in the area of Glick Doors.

Northbound left-turning vehicles 22 feet long or less may use this crossover.  Vehicles over 22 feet long will be directed by signing to go approximately one-half mile farther north and use the crossover across from Line Road.   

LIME RIDGE -- On I-80 between Exits 241 and 242, the eastbound on-ramp from Route 11 to I-80 at Lime Ridge (Exit 241) will remain closed until the fall due to the on-going bridge replacement project on the ramp.  The ramp detour remains in place.

RANSHAW -- Between Ranshaw and Excelsior a section of Route 901 is being repaved. This project is expected to be completed on or before July 18. There are daytime delays.

MIDDLEBURG -- In Middleburg, the Route 522 detour is underway.  Traffic signals are in place at the intersection of the Paxtonville Road and Rt. 104. The detour and the work is expected to be complete in August. 

STRONG -- In the Village of Strong, at the intersection of Routes 54 & 61, traffic patterns have changed for a bridge replacement. The project will be complete in November.

BERWICK -- Motorists who normally use Rittenhouse Mill Road off Route 11 as a shortcut to Orange Street (Route 93) in Berwick are advised that Route 93 is closed just north of the Freas Avenue/Park Road intersection for the bridge project.  In other words, vehicles will not be able to access Orange Street or Freas Avenue via Rittenhouse Mill Road.

BERWICK -- In Berwick, the bridge replacement on Rt. 93 is underway.  Traffic follows a detour from Rt. 93 to Freas Avenue to Cemetery Road and Martzville Road to Lake Road to Rt. 93 at the Old Stone Church.  The detour will be in effect until September.

FREEBURG -- A bridge replacement project is underway along Route 35, west of Freeburg.  A temporary signal is activated and traffic is restricted to one lane.  Red Bank Road is closed at that location.  The full bridge replacement project will be finished in November.

HERNDON -- A bridge carrying Route 147 over Mahanoy Creek, north of Herndon, is undergoing repairs. Traffic is restricted to a single lane, with temporary traffic signals controlling the flow. The work will be done in July.

FAXON -- Between Williamsport and Montoursville on I-180, eastbound traffic is down to a single lane.  Westbound traffic has two lanes. Motorists are advised to pay close attention to the work zone signing for exiting at Faxon or Third Street/ Warrensville Road.

IOLA -- A bridge replacement project is continuing on the Route 442 bridge, near Iola, in Columbia County. A temporary roadway is in place. Completion is scheduled for mid-October.

DANVILLE -- A Route 54 paving project is continuing in Danville and Mahoning Township. A repaving project from Danville and Interstate 80 will mean single lane traffic 24/7 in each direction for several months. This work will be finished in August.

HUMMELS WHARF -- The contractor working at Monroe Marketplace in Monroe Township, Snyder County is conducting night work on Routes 11-15. Work takes place from weeknights, starting 7 p.m.-6 a.m. The work will allow the installation of two new traffic signals. This work will continue until July.

PENNS CREEK -- Weight restriction now posted on Richard Road bridge near Penn Creek in Centre Township, Snyder County.  A maximum of 30 tons is allowed due to bridge deterioration.

 Pennsylvania's Work Zone Rules
Here is what the motoring public might expect to see with the new traffic control requirements that were enacted in 2006:
  1. + "Work Area Ahead" signs will be phased out and replaced with "Road Work Ahead" signs.
  2. + Most daylight flagging operations will now require an additional sign reading "One- Lane Road Ahead" on each work zone approach.
  3. + Additional signing will be required for daylight lane closures on divided and one-way highways.  (Right-lane or left-lane ends symbol signs)
  4. + "Utility Work Ahead", "Survey Crew" and "Bridge Inspection Ahead" signs may be used in place of the "Road Work Ahead" signs, where appropriate.
  5. + "Stop Ahead" and "Yield Ahead" signs will be phased out and replaced with symbol signs.

Motorists may also begin to see warning signs that are "pink" which will be used for emergency responses.

- As always, Penn DOT strongly urges motorists to pay full attention to their driving when approaching and passing through any highway work zone.  Obey the posted speed limit.  Refrain from tailgating.  Be alert to the possibility of slow-moving or stopped traffic ahead.  Bring along some relaxing music to listen to.  Plan extra time for your travels.  Always buckle up.

- All motorists are required to travel with their headlights turned on in all posted work zones, not just active workzones. It is necessary for drivers in vehicles with daytime running lights to turn on their headlights in order to activate their taillights. The penalty for driving without lit headlights in a posted work zone is $25. This is a secondary law; therefore individuals are subject to the fine only if convicted for another violation of the vehicle code.

-- Interstate work zones with a project cost exceeding $300,000 will have a speed-monitoring device to alert motorists of their speed prior to entering the work zone.

-- Active work zones must be designated as such to notify motorists when they enter and leave the work zone. A white flashing light attached to the "Active Work Zone When Flashing" sign will indicate an active work zone. The flashing light will only be activated when workers are present and turned off when workers are not present.

-- Motorists caught driving 11 miles per hour or more above the posted speed limit in an active work zone, or who are involved in a crash in an active work zone and are convicted for failing to drive at a safe speed, automatically will lose their license for 15 days.

-- Fines for certain traffic violations – including speeding, driving under the influence, and failure to obey traffic devices – are doubled for active work zones. Also, the law provides for up to five years of additional jail time for individuals convicted of homicide by vehicle for a crash that occurred in an active work zone.

-- Don't let your friends drive drunk and DO appoint a designated driver. Remember--party hosts are often held liable for drunk driving accidents which follow parties.

 Winter Driving Advice
 

PennDOT is advising motorists to be alert to the possibility of snow squalls. Motorists need to be alert for squalls since they can quickly cause roads to become snow-covered and slick. In addition, heavy squalls can also cause whiteout conditions, virtually eliminating a driver’s visibility.

If motorists encounter snow squalls while traveling, PennDOT offers these suggestions:
-- Slow down gradually and drive at a speed that suits the conditions. 
-- Turn on your headlights. 
-- Stay in your lane. 
-- Increase your following distance.
-- Stay alert, keep looking as far ahead as possible and be patient.
-- Reduce in-car distractions since your full attention is required. 
-- Use defroster and wipers. 
-- Keep windows and mirrors free of snow and ice.
-- During whiteouts, come to a complete stop only when you can safely get as far off the road as possible or when there is a safe area to do so.
-- Do not stop in the flow of traffic since this could create a chain-reaction collision. 
-- Do not pass a vehicle moving slowly or speed up to get away from a vehicle that is following too closely.
-- Always buckle up and never drink and drive.

PennDOT reminds motorists of a new law requiring drivers the removal of all snow and ice from vehicles. There are severe fines if snow or ice that falls from their vehicle causes serious injury or death to other motorists or pedestrians.

The law states, "When snow or ice is dislodged or falls from a moving vehicle and strikes another vehicle or pedestrian causing death or serious bodily injury, the operator of the vehicle from which the snow or ice came is subject to a fine of $200 to $1,000 for each offense."

When driving during inclement weather, drivers should increase space between their vehicle and the vehicles ahead to allow for increased stopping distances, particularly on snow or ice covered roads.

Drivers are reminded to allow plenty of space around an operating snowplow and never attempt to get between several snowplows plowing side-by-side in a “plow train.” Plow trains are used on interstates and other limited access roads to clear as much of the road as possible in one pass.

Now is the time to prepare vehicles for winter weather to help avoid breakdowns. Motorists should have a mechanic check their vehicles’ battery, belts and hoses, heater and defroster, tires and anti-freeze level. Additionally, motorists should regularly check their wipers, lights, fluid levels and tire air pressure.

Among the items motorists should consider keeping in their vehicles if they expect to be far from home in extreme conditions are non-perishable food, a cellular telephone, water, a heavy blanket, a shovel, a warm hat, gloves, boots, a tow rope or chain, jumper cables, a bag of sand, portable cell phone charger and a brightly colored flag or other piece of material.

If motorists become stranded, they should stay in their vehicles and only run their engines and heaters every half hour, or so. Make sure tailpipes are clear and keep downwind windows open for fresh air. They should also tie a brightly colored flag onto the highest point of your vehicle to help rescuers locate them. PennDOT also recommends that travelers carry a cellular phone for safety.