July 2009 Archives

Crews will be repairing washouts in northern York County this week after heavy rain flooded the area Thursday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Those repairs will take place on Siddonsburg Road from Route 15 to Lewisberry Road in Carroll and Monaghan townships and Franklin Church Road between Big Dam and Meadow View roads in Washington and Franklin townships.

Two roads will be closed: Days Mill Road between Route 182 and Indian Rock Dam Road in York and North Codorus townships for pipe replacement and York Road between Miller Road and Route 382 in Newberry Township for a bridge deck replacement.

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

-- Interstate 83 between the Shrewsbury and Leader Heights exits for inlet cleaning.

-- Yorkana Road between Broad Street in Hallam and Mount Pisgah Road in Lower Windsor Township for paving.

-- Crossroads Avenue between Felton Road in Windsor Township and Cross Roads for paving, mowing and crack sealing.

-- Lewisberry Road between Canal and Andersontown roads in Conewago Township for mowing and brush cutting.

-- Larue Road between Yellow Church Road and Route 616 in Springfield and Codorus townships for mowing.

-- Good Road between Route 74 and Frosty Hill Road in Chanceford and Lower Chanceford townships for mowing.

-- Route 24 from Route 124 to Lombard Road in Windsor and York townships for crack sealing and oil and chip sealing. This will seal the base repair work for the coming winter, said Steve Grassetti, manager for PennDOT's York County maintenance office. Drivers will see slow-moving traffic in this area.

-- Manheim Road between Route 216 and Glenville Road in Manheim Township for pipe replacement.

-- Ridge Meadow Road between Stewartstown Road and the state line for patch paving.

-- Laurel Road between Route 74 and Hickory Road in Chanceford and East Hopewell townships for oil and chip sealing.

-- Herbst Road between Route 24 and Rippling Run Road in North Hopewell and Windsor townships for oil and chip sealing.

-- Franklin Street between Park and Duke streets in York Township for oil and chip sealing.

-- Route 124 between Route 624 in Lower Windsor Township and East Prospect borough for oil and chip sealing.

-- Mount Pisgah Road between Freysville and Gun Club roads in Windsor Township for oil and chip sealing.

-- Mount Pisgah Road between Cool Creek and Millers Springs roads in Hellam and Lower Windsor townships for oil and chip sealing.

A stimulus project is starting on Interstate 83 across the state line.

Crews will resurface three miles along northbound and southbound I-83 from just south of Downes Road to the state line, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration.

Drivers should expect periodic lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for the mainline work.

The project also involves resufacing several interchange ramps: two at Freeland Road, four at the Maryland 439/Old York Road, four at Maryland 45/York Road, one at Middletown Road and four at Maryland 137/Mt. Carmel Road.

Drivers may see restrictions on the ramps between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

The administration awarded the $3.9 million contract to P. Flanigan and Sons Inc. of Baltimore.

The public can learn more about the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's programs and services through an electronic newsletter, "E-PennDOT Digest," according to a news release.

The quarterly online newsletter will include updates on initiatives, such as the Accelerated Bridge Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. People can find news related to public transportation, aviation and rail freight.

And they can read how emplyees go the extra mile to serve taxpayers.

The newsletter is available by clicking on "E-PennDOT Digest" under the "News & Media" link on PennDOT's web site: www.dot.state.pa.us.

Rabbittransit will offer a deferment plan to state workers to help them with transportation needs until a state budget is passed, according to a news release.

The deferment plan allows riders to receive passes with the commitment that Rabbittransit will be reimbursed within 30 days of the budget being passed.

Those who are interested can send an email to info@rabbittransit.org.

Rabbittransit operates a commuter bus service between York and Harrisburg known as the Rabbitexpress.

Crews will be reducing traffic to a single-lane Thursday night on Route 581 westbound and on a ramp from Route 581 westbound to U.S. 15 southbound, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The restrictions will occur between 9 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday.

Crews need to install temporary pavement markings and to perform a traffic shift.

Crews will rehabilitate Rabbittransit's parking lot next month with $350,000 in federal stimulus funds, executive director Richard Farr said.

The upgraded parking lot will include concrete where the buses park and an oil and water separator as the agency continues to go green.

The remainder of Rabbittransit's stimulus money -- nearly $2.8 million -- will be swapped with another transit agency for future use as Rabbittransit searches for a new home. That will take several years, Farr said.

Crews plan to clean drains and patch potholes on Interstate 83 this week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's weekly schedule.

Drivers should watch for single-lane restrictions in the left lane of I-83 northbound from the state line to Leaders Heights Road on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for drain cleaning.

On Wednesday, drivers will have to watch for single-lane restrictions in the right lane of I-83 northbound from the state line to the Strinestown exit for the pothole patching.

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

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

--- Route 262 from Route 114 to Pleasant View Road in Fairview Township for paving on Monday.

--- Cassel Road in Newberry Township for paving and brush cutting.

--- Locust Grove Road in Springettsbury and Windsor townships for crack sealing on Monday and Tuesday.

--- Cool Springs Road between routes 30 and 462 in Hellam Township and Wrightsville for crack sealing on Monday and Tuesday.

--- Cool Creek Road from Route 462 to Mount Pisgah Road in Wrightsville and Hellam Township for crack sealing Wednesday through Friday.

--- Crossroads Avenue between Felton and Cross Roads for crack sealing Wednesday through Friday.

--- Miller Road between routes 425 and 851 in Fawn and Peach Bottom townships for crack sealing on Thursday.

--- Franklin Street from Route 24 to Camp Road in North Hopewell Township for crack sealing on Friday.

--- Herbst Road from Route 24 to Rippling Run Road in North Hopewell and Windsor townships for pipe replacement.

--- South George Street between Leader Heights and Rathton roads in various municipalities for brush cutting.

--- Lewisberry Road between Canal and Andersontown roads in Conewago Township for mowing.

--- Route 425 between Otter Creek and Shenks Ferry Road in Lower Chanceford and Chanceford townships for mowing.

--- Route 616 between Seven Valleys and Glen Rock for mowing.

--- Moores Mountain Road between Pinetown Road in Fairview Township and the Cumberland County line for shoulder cutting on Wednesday and Thursday.

--- Siddonsburg Road between Silver Lake and Pinetown roads in Fairview Township for shoulder cutting on Friday.

--- Mumper Lane between Dillsburg borough and Ore Bank Road in Carroll Township for drainage work on Monday and Tuesday.

--- Salem Church Road between Route 234 and Canal Road in Dover Township for saw cutting pipe.

--- Roths Church/Rockville/Pigeon Hill roads in Jackson Township for chipping on Monday.

--- Thoman Drive in Heidelberg Township for chipping on Tuesday.

--- Kraft Mill Road in Jefferson borough and North Codorus and Heidelberg townships for chipping on Wednesday.

--- Dubs Church Road between Route 216 in Manheim Township and the West Manheim Township line for chipping on Thursday.

--- Smoketown Road between Route 216 and Sinsheim Road in Manheim township for chipping on Friday.

Someone recently asked me where the Rabbitexpress bus stop is in Hunt Valley, Md.

It's at the light rail stop at 98 Shawan Road, said Jenna Reedy, business development manager for Rabbittransit.

The light rail station at the Hunt Valley Towne Centre is where Wegmans and other stores are located.

Drivers might see single-lane restrictions on Route 30 between the Mount Zion Road exit and Route 462 so crews can sweep the road this week.

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

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

--- South Fileys Road from Mumper Lane to Siddonsburg Road in Carroll and Monaghan townships for paving. This is scheduled for Monday to Wednesday.

--- Lewisberry Road between Canal and Andersontown roads in Conewago Township for mowing.

--- Steltz Road from New Freedom borough to Sticks Road in Shrewsbury and Codorus townships for mowing.

--- Constitution Avenue from Shrewsbury to New Freedom for mowing.

--- South George Street between Leader Heights and Rathton roads in various municipalities for brush cutting.

--- Moores Mountain Road between Pinetown Road in Fairview Township and the Cumberland County line for shoulder cutting.

--- Route 851 between Route 24 and New Park in Hopewell and Fawn townships for crack sealing.

--- Cool Creek Road between Route 462 and Mount Pisgah Road in Wrightsville and Hellam Township for crack sealing.

--- Cool Springs Road between routes 30 and 462 in Hellam Township and Wrightsville for crack sealing.

--- Spring Grove Road between Colonial Valley and Ambau roads in North Codorus Township for pipe replacement.

--- Route 262 between Route 114 and Pleasant View Road in Fairview Township for pipe patching.

--- Ridge Road between routes 177 and 262 in Fairview Township for oil and chip sealing.

--- Ridge Road between Route 194 and the Adams County line in Washington Township for oil and chip sealing.

--- Pine Road from Route 30 to Maple Grove Road in Paradise Township for oil
and chip sealing.

Sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols are planned for the Fourth of July weekend, according to the Southcentral PA Regional DUI Task Force.

The task force reminds people to never drive after drinking. Appoint someone as a designated driver before the drinking starts so that person can remain sober.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Bans on the use of hand-held cell phones and text messaging while driving have garnered attention.

But what about the use of a global positioning system device that isn't voice activated? Should drivers be prohibited from touching one of those while driving?

That's what one New Jersey lawmaker has proposed. The fine would be $100.

What do you think? Should the operation of a manual GPS units be banned, too? Or is this going to far?

I, too, got stuck in the backup on Interstate 83 Wednesday because of a tractor-trailer crash. I was heading to work at the time.

Luckily, I was still south of the Loganville exit so I was able to get off and use one of the detour routes, including Lake Road which parallels the highway near Lake Redman. That's when I spotted people standing on I-83 just waiting for the crash to be cleared, and I stopped to interview some of them.

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it seem like we're having more accidents on the highway?