Central Susquehanna Valley Roadwork

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

SUNBURY -- PennDOT closed the intersection of Market and 11th Street in Sunbury last Monday. The 10-day detour is allowing crews to remove and upgrade of the existing curb ramps and installation of new concrete signal pole foundations. Monday to September 2 is the tentative time frame for that work.

SUNBURY -- Norfolk Southern Railroad closed Market Street and 3rd Street last Monday and it is still closed. They are finished rebuilding the crossing, but are waiting until Monday to reopen the intersection.

DANVILLE -- In Danville, night and day paving continues on Route 11. Now through September 3rd, there is flagging  and motorists should expect extremely long delays. 

DANVILLE/SHAMOKIN -- Four Northumberland County highways will be resurfaced in September:

-- Route 54 between Sept. 1-17;A 5-mile section of Route 54 from Boyd Station Road to north of Elysburg.
-- Route 487 between Sept. 7-22;A 2.2-mile section of Route 487 between Paxinos and Elysburg.
-- Route 61 between Sept. 9-24;A 4.5-mile section of Route 61 from Paxinos to Weigh Scales.
-- Route 125 between Sept. 13-28.A 2.8-mile section of Route 125 from Route 61 in Shamokin through Burnside in Coal Township to Point Breeze Road at the East Cameron Township line.

Traffic will be restricted to a single lane in the work zone weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Flaggers will direct traffic flow. Delays are possible

UNDATED -- PennDOT is installing reflective pavement markers along Routes 44, 554 and I-180 in Lycoming, I-180 in Northumberland, 54 in Montour, and 901 in Northumberland counties. No set time frame is posted. Contract completion is scheduled by mid-Nov

MT CARMEL -- PennDOT will close the Marshall Street over Locust Creek, south of Locust Gap in Mount Carmel Township starting Aug. 30. Marshall Street will be closed between the intersections with Route 54 at Locust Gap and High Road at Helfenstien in Schuylkill County. Work will be completed October 8th.

HERNDON -- PennDOT has closed Windmill Road in Upper Mahanoy Township for the installation of 15 cross pipes to improve drainage along the highway. The road is closed weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather permitting. Work will continue until Sept. 7th. The crew will do its best to accommodate school bus traffic once classes begin.

UNDATED -- PennDOT is replacing a number of cross pipes beneath Little Roaring Creek Road in Rush Twp. This will follow a red-arrow detour, which will be SR 54 west to SR 2002 (Boyd’s Station Road). The road will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The project should wrap up around the middle of September.

MIDDLEBURG -- PennDOT is repaving sections of Routes 104 and 522 in and around Middleburg. There will be flagging, delays in and near Middleburg for the next several months. The work will wrap up in October.

SELINSGROVE -- On Mill Road in Snyder County, PennDOT has started a bridge preservation project at the site of the former Camelback Bridge. Two lane traffic will be maintained with width restrictions. The project is scheduled for completion by Oct.

CATAWISSA -- A bridge rehabilitation project on Route 42, about three miles south of Catawissa in Columbia County, will start soon. Crews have activated a temporary traffic signal on flash mode and soon it will go on full activation. This is near the Slabtown Road and 1.2 miles north of Slabtown. Completion is scheduled for late Nov.

SUNBURY -- The Route 61/Veterans Memorial Bridge construction continues with a width restriction listed for large trucks. Work will be complete this fall.

BEAVER SPRINGS -- PennDOT is repaving a 4-mile section of Route 235 in Snyder County. The work is between Beaver Springs and Troxelville. There will be lane restrictions, width and flagging.  All work is scheduled for completion by Oct. 1

SUNBURY -- PennDOT has started road work a section of Catawissa Avenue/Sunbury Road. Work will extend from Market Street in Sunbury to Epler Road, for a total distance of 3.4 miles. The project completion date is September 24.

KRATZERVILLE -- A second bridge has closed near the Kratzerville bridge replacement project. The latest bridge is a small span over a tributary to Penns Creek. Kratzerville Road/Penns Drive will be shut down between the two bridges. In addition, the west end of Hollow Road will be closed at its intersection with Penns Drive. Crews will be finished in October.

WINFIELD -- PennDOT has started work on a major widening and reconstruction project on Route 15 in Winfield. There is single lane traffic in both directions and some long peak travel delays. The work includes installing a center left turn lane, rebuilding the rail crossing and constructing of a new single, larger intersecting road--rather than several smaller intersecting roads. This project will be done by mid-November.

CATAWISSA -- PennDOT advises motorists in Columbia County that businesses are open and accessible in Catawissa in the vicinity of the Route 42 Bridge rehabilitation project over Catawissa Creek. There have been some long traffic backups but the businesses are open and accessible, the bridge is open and controlled by temporary traffic signals, and there are long delays. Motorists are asked to avoid that area.

PAXTONVILLE  -- PennDOT is replacing the Paxton Street Bridge in Snyder County. This work will take place under daylight signing and flagging. The detour for all traffic will be implemented Tuesday. PennDOT expects the new bridge to be open to traffic by Nov. 19.

SUNBURY -- PennDOT is doing extensive road work in Sunbury. Already Front Street work and construction on the Veteran's Memorial Bridge is underway. The new work is on Market Street (Route 61). The contractor is restricting traffic to a single lane in the work zone at the intersections of Front and Market Streets (Routes 147 and 61) and Market and Fourth Streets (Route 61 and 4th Street), from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

The project includes new ADA-compliant concrete curb ramps and traffic signal upgrades at the intersections with Route 147, 3rd Street, 5th Street and 11th Street. Also included are signal poles, traffic signals and control cabinets, video detectors, bituminous pavement replacement and new pavement markings. A short-term, 10-day detour will be implemented around mid-August for work at the intersection of Route 61 and 11th Street. The project is scheduled for completion by mid-October.

MIFFLINBURG -- Starting in August, a PennDOT contractor will build a new westbound I-80 river bridge at Mifflinville. This $50 million, five-year project will involve building the new bridge between the existing bridges and working on several other bridges in that immediate area. Two lane traffic will be maintained. All of the work will be finished in 2015.

KANTZ -- The bridge replacement project on Middle Creek Road over Middle Creek in Penn Township, Snyder County, is underway. A detour is in effect using Route 35 and Market Street. Work will be finished in late September.

BUCKHORN -- Work is underway in the east and westbound lanes of Interstate 80. Work is between Buckhorn and Lime Ridge, exits 232 and 241 and will continue until fall. Long delays are likely.

Additionally, the entire Route 42 Buckhorn/I-80 interchange/Columbia Mall entrance area is being reconstructed. There are extensive delays, flagging, new travel lanes and temporary driveways to businesses. Consider an alternative route or expect delays. Route 44 is closed at the intersection with Route 42.

MONTOURSVILLE -- PennDOT has implemented a new travelers advisory service. It is called 511 and motorists can log on to 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions before heading out. Voice prompts will help you localize the information and find out about potential traffic delays. Click here for the service.
 

Here is some PennDOT workzone safety advice:

- 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.

-- Some Interstate work zones will have a speed-monitoring device to alert motorists of their speed prior to entering the work zone.

-- Active work zones are 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.

During the winter months, PennDOT advises 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.