PennDOT says it has heard from the public about dissatisfaction with current signage for the bridge replacement project taking place on Route 72, and the project team has changes planned to go into place on Monday, May 6.
Work began Monday, April 22, on the replacement of the Route 72 bridge in Frog’s Hollow over the Swatara Creek. A detour is in place for road traffic utilizing routes 22 and 343, while cyclists can use Jonestown Road, the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail, and New Bunker Hill Road.
Read More: Route 72 bridge replacement begins, one span over Swatara Creek is already down
Adherence to those detour routes has so far been problematic, according to local residents and officials.
Through a spokesperson, the state transportation authority said that its District Eight traffic unit visited the construction site recently to assess the detour and its signage.
The following changes will take place on Monday, according to PennDOT:
- Adding a “Truck No Left Turn” sign on Heilmandale Road coming out of the Walmart Distribution Center.
- Adding signs at the square in Jonestown (Market and Lancaster streets) to prevent truck turning movements.
- Adding “Road Closed To Thru Traffic” right after Camp Meeting Road north of the bridge.
- Adding “Road Closed 3 Miles Ahead” on northbound Route 72 just past Heilmandale Road.
- Making adjustments to the timing of the temporary signals at the square in Jonestown.
PennDOT said that it will also be placing additional message boards around the Route 22/Route 72 interchange, as well as new “Road Closed” signs on Type 3 barricades to place on Route 72 just south of the Jonestown Road intersection.
PennDOT has also clarified the text on its three local message boards on Interstates 78 and 81 to state “Use PA 343 For Detour” and “PA 72 South Closed to Thru Traffic at US 22.”
“We are asking everyone to follow the posted detour, especially trucks,” said the project team in a statement.
PennDOT said that once signs restricting trucks are installed, municipalities will be able to actively enforce the restrictions, and have the ability to fine drivers who disregard the posted routes.
State Rep. Russ Diamond (R-102), whose district contains the project, has been advocating for changes along these lines over the past couple of weeks. Diamond said he’s cautiously optimistic that these changes will help, but noted that, “This still all requires drivers to pay attention to what they’re doing.”
Diamond said the biggest issue he had been hearing from constituents was that trucks were getting stuck on either side of the bridge and then needing to turn around on private property.
“Some of those parking lots are not built for 80,000-pound vehicles,” said Diamond.
Diamond said everybody had been frustrated by the traffic impact as the seven-month project got started. Diamond related that when he spent some time at the square in Jonestown last week, he saw the issues first-hand, with trucks making turns they shouldn’t have been onto South Lancaster Street. Diamond said that observing traffic at the square helped him realize that one straightforward situation would be to simply not let trucks make turns there by posting enforceable signage.
The goal of making it enforceable – in other words, ticketable – is not to generate revenue, Diamond said, but rather to get people’s attention.
Diamond noted that PennDOT has also been in contact with the Walmart Distribution Center located south of the bridge at 1625 Heilmandale Road – a facility larger than 17 football fields that employs hundreds – and shared literature in both English and Spanish to help communicate the closure and detour routes to the trucking fleets employed by the retail giant and its logistics partners.
Diamond said that from his experience in trucking, he knows that truckers come from all different countries and backgrounds, so while the bilingual communications effort is a good start, having the “No Left Turn” sign right there at the exit to the distribution center could have more of an impact because, again, it’s an enforceable measure.
Work on the project is expected to be complete by Nov. 20, with final asphalt paving to occur next spring.
LebTown first reported on the planned overhaul of the two-span arch bridge, which was built in 1930, back in March 2021.
Read More:
- (March 2021) Frog’s Hollow bridge isn’t falling down, but it does need to be replaced
- (February 2024) Rt. 72 bridge over Swattie to close mid-April for replacement, detour planned
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