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

MONTOURSVILLE -- Between Williamsport and Montoursville, a section of westbound Route 180 will be paved Monday.  The westbound off-ramp at Faxon (Exit 25) will be closed.

MOORESBURG -- In Interstate 80 in Montour County, near mile marker 222, eastbound, at the overpass of Stump Road, roadwork will take place all this week. The shoulder and travel lane will be closed for six days.

DANVILLE -- Later this month near Danville, PennDOT has scheduled roadwork on Route 642 east of Route 45. Tuesday (10/14) and Wednesday (10/15).  A detour for eastbound traffic will use Rt. 45 to Mooresburg Road and back to Rt. 642.  Westbound traffic will follow Mooresburg Road to Rt. 45 and back to Rt. 642

SELINSGROVE -- PennDOT has started a bridge deck replacement project along Buckwheat Valley Road in West Perry Township. A detour uses Ridge Road and Pine Swamp Road. The rehabilitated bridge is expected to be opened to traffic on or about October 14.

TROXELVILLE -- PennDOT will replace several cross pipes beneath Route 235 near Troxelville Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The work will require daylight-only road closures with a 22-mile detour posted.

MONROE TWP -- On Routes 11 & 15 in Hummels Wharf, the new traffic signals at Monroe Marketplace are now fully activated. 

PAXTONVILLE -- PennDOT will close a bridge on Iron Bridge Road north of Paxtonville for five days during daylight hours only, beginning Monday. A 5.5 mile detour will be posted and work will be complete by the end of this week.

SHAMOKIN -- Daytime detours are posted daily on Shamrock Road near Shamokin. PennDOT is closing the road daily until 10/22. The road is closed from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.  School buses will be able to get through

MONTANDON -- PennDOT repaving Route 45 in Montandon between the intersection with Route 405 to the Route 147 overpass. There are lane restrictions, long delays and motorists may wish to avoid this section of Route 45. This will cause delays on the Lewisburg River Bridge and in Lewisburg. Work will be done by Friday. 

UNDATED -- PennDOT is installing rumble strips along area roads. Long delays are likely in workzones on the following roads. This work will be complete in November:

Columbia County
Route 254, between Jerseytown and Millville
Route 44, sections in Madison and Hemlock Townships, southeast of Jerseytown
Route 339, east of Mifflinville to the Luzerne County line
Ringtown Road, Aristes, east to the Schuylkill County line
Rohrsburg Road, short section north of Orangeville

Montour County
Route 54, Derry Township section
Route 11, short section at the west end of Danville

Northumberland County
Route 11, Point Township, just west of the Montour County line
Route 11, Point Township, a few miles either side of the Ridge Road intersection
Route 54, Riverside to the Montour County line
Route 901, sections east of Excelsior and just west of Route 54
Route 901, Locust Gap to the Schuylkill County line
Route 61, section south of Paxinos
Route 147, section north of Herndon
Route 405, short section just west of the I-80/I-180 Interchange
Route 405, south of Milton, from north end of Housels Run Road to Route 147 intersection

Snyder County
Route 11, Barry King Bridge at Northumberland to north of the Routes 11-15 split
Route 104, Perry Township, east of Mount Pleasant Mills
Route 35, from Route 104 to Freeburg
New Berlin Highway, from New Berlin, south for several miles
Route 204, two sections west of Kratzerville
Ulsh Gap Road (SR 4003), McClure Borough, northeast to Middle Road (SR 4006)
Route 522, east of Middleburg, through Kreamer

Union County
Route 15, just north of I-80, to the intersection of Old Route 15 at White Deer
Route 15, Gregg Township, north of Allenwood to the Lycoming County line

MIDDLEBURG -- PennDOT has closed a bridge on Ulsh Gap Road in West Beaver Township, Snyder County. A detour is posted which uses Route 522, County Line Road and Fairview Road. The work will be done in November.
 
HUMMELS WHARF -- The contractor working on Monroe Marketplace in Monroe Township, Snyder County is still conducting daylight and night work on Routes 11-15. In addition to occasional lengthy daytime delays, night work can take place weeknights, starting 7 p.m.-6 a.m.  This work will continue through October.

TURBOTVILLE -- Near Turbotville, sections of Routes 44 and 54 are being repaved.
The project starts at the Montour County line and continues west, to just west of the Interstate 180 Interchange. The work also includes  Route 44 through Turbotville.
The daytime workzone will be controlled with flaggers, delays are likely, all work is scheduled for completion by mid-October

SHAMOKIN DAM -- On Rt. 15 northbound from Shamokin Dam to just south of Glick Doors, left turn restrictions are now in place.  Northbound motorists wishing to access driveways and businesses on the left 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.   

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.

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.

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.
 

 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.