June 2009 Archives

Musser Street in Manchester will be closed Tuesday so crews can pave the street between York and Main streets, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's weekly schedule.

The street will be prepped for paving the day before, and traffic will be reduced to a single lane, the schedule states.

Lewisberry Road remains closed as well as crews replace a bridge deck between Miller Road and Route 382 in Newberry Township.

Crews will work Monday through Thursday this week. They'll have off on Friday for Independence Day.

Drivers may see single-lane restrictions on the following roads:

-- Route 24 between Main and Eighth streets in Mount Wolf for base repair. That's slated for Monday.

-- Mount Airy Road between Route 177 and Pinetown Road in Warrington Township for shoulder cutting.

-- Big Conewago Creek Road between North George Street and Bowers Bridge Road in East Manchester and Conewago townships for mowing.

-- Lewisberry Road between Canal and Andersontown roads in Conewago Township for drain cleaning. That is slated for Monday through Wednesday.

-- Old Trail Road between Leaders Heights and Rathton roads in various municipalities for brush cutting. that is slated for Monday through Wednesday.

-- Route 851 between Constitution Avenue and Stewartstown in various municipalities for crack sealing.

-- Black Rock Road between Hobart and Dubs Church roads in West Manheim Township for pipe extension. The works is scheduled for Monday.

-- Green Valley Road between Stauffer and Panther roads in North Codorus Township for pipe replacement. That work is planned for Monday and Wednesday.

Travel is expected to be down for the Fourth of July holiday weekend because of rising fuel prices and economic uncertainty, according to the American Automobile Association.

The decrease is predicted to be 1.9 percent from last year and 10.5 percent from 2007.

Are you going to be traveling for Independence Day? Why or why not?

President Barack Obama signed into law Wednesday a new buyer incentive program which will help people trade in their older vehicles for new, more fuel efficient ones, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Owners can get a $4,500 rebate for trading in a car that has a fuel economy rating of 18 miles-per-gallon or less. The new car that is being bought or leased must have a fuel economy rating of at least 10 miles per gallon more than the car to be traded.

For those who own vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, the fuel economy of the vehicle must be 18 miles per gallon or less, too. Owners can receive a $3,500 rebate for a new one that would get at least two miles-per-gallon better mileage. That would go up to $4,500 for a new vehicle that gets at least five miles per gallon better mileage.

The program starts within 30 days. The final day for an eligible purchase or lease is Nov. 1 or whenever the money runs out, whichever is first.

Are you thinking about trading in one of your old cars? Why or why not?

I took a drive Wednesday evening to see how traffic is flowing through the work zone on Route 30 in the eastern part of the county. The stimulus project involves repairing and resurfacing the road between the Hallam exit and the Susquehanna River.

Only a section of the westbound side was reduced to a single lane, and it seemed like traffic was moving smoothly. I even saw gaps between the vehicles. We thought that traffic might be backed up even after rush hour. It seems like Route 30 is busy all the time.

So is it always like this? I was out there around 8:30 p.m., and I'm wondering if what I saw is typical.

Don't forget: Single-lane restrictions on Route 30 in the eastern part of York County are expected to start Sunday night.

Crews will be working between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday to repair and pave the stretch between the Hellam interchange and the Susquehanna River. They also may work an occasional Friday as well.

The project is expected to be finished by the end of October.

It's the first transportation-related economic stimulus project for York County.

The ramp from northbound Interstate 83 to westbound Route 581 will be closed this weekend so crews can repair the pavement and install new rumble strips, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The ramp was supposed to close at 7 p.m. Friday, and it will remain closed until 6 a.m. Monday.

Drivers will be detoured north on I-83 across the Susquehanna River to the 13th Street exit. Drivers can get off there and then hop back on I-83 southbound to return to westbound Route 581.

PennDOT has a new traffic safety web site that offers information and tips on aggressive driving, school bus safety and other issues.

It's part of PennDOT's new highway safety campaign, Drive Safe PA, which aims to save at least 100 or more lives on state highways each year, according to a news release.

You can check it out by clicking here.

Thursday is Dump the Pump day, and new riders can get a coupon to ride for free on a Rabbittransit fixed route and Rabbitexpress service that day.

All you have to do is send an email to dumpthepump@rabbittransit.org.

Those who already ride Rabbittransit with a monthly pass can apply for a free refurbished bicycle. Every Rabbittransit vehicle is equipped with a bicycle rack, and there is no extra cost to transport a bike.

Dump the Pump day encourages people to try other modes of transportation instead of driving to work alone. Public transportation can help people save money, conserve gasoline, and reduce harmful greenhouse gases emitted into the environment.

For those who travel US 11/15 in Cumberland County, you'll see a single-lane traffic pattern on the northbound side between 9 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

That's so crews can complete some temporary traffic signal work.

The lane closure will stretch from the US 15 bridge over Route 581 and continue through to Trindle Road.

Brief stops are also planned between midnight Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday. The contractor plans to pull a temporary traffic signal wire over Route 15.

Vice President Joe Biden will kick off his "Road to Recovery" tour Thursday in Carlisle, Pa., according to a news release from the White House.

He'll attend the groundbreaking for the Route 34 bridge. Governor Ed Rendell, Senator Arlen Specter and local officials will be present.

The vice president first toured the bridge in February, one week before the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed.

Biden will be traveling to communities across the country to highlight how the stimulus funds are creating jobs and improving the nation's infrastructure.

After his stop in Carlisle, the vice president will go to Overland Park, Kansas for the groundbreaking of the US Highway 69 project.

York County's first transportation-related stimulus project starts next week on Route 30. Crews will be repairing and paving the road between the Hellam exit and the Susquehanna River.

A contractor on the US 15/Route 581 project plans to reduce Route 581 in Cumberland County to a single-lane in both directions so crews can work on a new bridge on US 15, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The single-lane closures are planned for Wednesday through June 19. Drivers should expect the closures between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The lane closure will begin east of the Interstate 83/Route 581 intersection and continue to the Route 641/Mechanicsburg exit.

More traffic stops are planned on Route 581 in Cumberland County so crews can set a bridge beam and install stay-in-place bridge deck forms for a new bridge on US 15.

The stops will happen between midnight and 5 a.m. on Thursday and June 15 through 19. The stops will be limited to 15 minutes each.

Crews will seal cracks and sweep sections of Interstate 83 from the state line to the Cumberland County line this week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The work will be done between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Drivers should watch for shifting traffic patterns and single-lane restrictions on the mainline and ramps.

Also, York Road remains closed between Miller Road and Route 382 in Newberry Township for replacement of a bridge deck.

Drivers might see single-lane restrictions on the following roads for maintenance
work:

-- Codorus Furnace Road in East Manchester and Hellam townships for paving.
-- Mount Pisgah Road between Ducktown and Poff roads on the border of Hellam and Lower Windsor townships for rock removal.
-- Mount Pisgah Road between Cool Creek and Millers Spring roads in Hellam and Lower Windsor townships for base repair.
-- Abel Road between Route 624 and East Prospect Road in Lower Windsor Township and East Prospect borough for base repair.
-- Route 24 between Windsor and Lombard roads on the border of York and Windsor townships for base repair.
-- Cassel Road in Newberry and East Manchester townships for mowing.
-- Days Mill Road in North Codorus and York townships for mowing and bank removal.
-- Fileys Road South between Mumper Lane and Siddonsburg Road in Carroll and Monaghan townships for mowing.
-- Stamper Road in Chanceford Township for shoulder cutting.
-- Main Street Extended between Route 74 in Chanceford Township and Felton borough for shoulder cutting.
-- Sawmill Road in Hopewell Township for edge paving between June 8 and 11.
-- Pleasant Valley Road between Route 851 and Blue Ball Road in Hopewell and East Hopewell townships for edge paving. This is scheduled for June 11 and 12.
-- Route 116 between Lehman and Porters roads in North Codorus and Heidelberg townships for pipe replacement.
-- Fishing Creek Road between Route 114 and Old York Road in Fairview Township for crack sealing.
-- Siddonsburg Road between Route 15 and Lewisberry Road in Carroll and Monaghan townships for storm cleanup.

Crews will be sealing cracks and sweeping sections of Interstate 83 from the state line to the Cumberland County line next week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The work will be done between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Drivers should watch for shifting traffic patterns and single-lane restrictions on the mainline and ramps.

If you drive Route 30 in the eastern section of York County, you'll see construction work starting in about a week.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation awarded a $3.2 million contract to J.D. Eckman Inc. of Chester County to resurface five miles of Route 30 between the Hellam exit and the Susquehanna River.

It's one of the stimulus projects that has been approved for York County.

The work will involve concrete patching, removal of the top layer of asphalt, resurfacing the road and installing guiderail and pavement markings.

The project should be completed by the end of October, according to PennDOT.

Crews will be setting five beams for a new bridge on US 15 in Cumberland County during the early morning hours Thursday. That means traffic stops on Route 581, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Those stops will happen between midnight Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday. Each stop could last up to 15 minutes.