PennDOT to treat a stretch of I-81 that becomes slick in rain

A section of Interstate 81 near the Route 72 interchange that has been the site of numerous accidents during rainstorms will have high-friction surface treatment this spring.

A PennDOT application for federal Highway Safety Improvement Plan funds was approved two weeks ago for the section of the interstate approaching and after the twin bridges, said Carey Mullins, planning and programming manager with PennDOT District 8, at a recent meeting of the technical committee of the Lebanon County Metropolitan Planning Office (MPO).

“The pavement becomes slick, and trucks can lose control,” said Mullins, who recounted witnessing a truck going over the embankment during rain. “We will do some concrete patching, and then we’ll put a surface treatment on in the spring.”

The same high-friction surface treatment (HFST) will be applied on the curves at the Route 934 interchange in East Hanover Township, Mullins said.

Studies have shown that HFST can reduce wet-road crashes by 83% and total crashes by 57%, Mullins said in an email. When added onto a road surface, it creates friction that helps keep vehicles in their lanes on slippery pavement and around curves, according to PennDOT.

“HFST is one of our highest requested safety improvements by county maintenance, local municipalities and MPOs when developing safety improvement projects,” Mullins said.

Mullins also urged drivers to maintain speed limits and be cautious as PennDOT employees and contractors begin road work.

In other business, the committee approved an amendment to the MPO’s current TIP (transportation improvement program) to add $500,000 to be used for preliminary engineering of a possible roundabout at the intersection of Route 419 and Boyd Street in Cornwall Borough.

The new funds allow PennDOT to assign a project manager to begin reviewing prior studies and traffic analyses to determine the best improvement which could include a roundabout, said Jon Fitzkee, senior transportation planner with the county, in an email.

But Fitzkee cautioned all possible options will be considered, and the one with the most benefit in terms of safety and operations will likely be pursued.

The MPO’s Route 72/Cornwall Road corridor study will wrap up by the end of June, Fitzkee told the technical committee.

Possible improvements to the corridor will be shared first with the steering committee and then at a second open house, Fitzkee said. Some of the study recommendations could be advanced on the MPO’s TIP or be undertaken by the local municipalities.

Request for bids for Lebanon Transit’s new facility on Willow Street went out on March 4, said Mike Curry, manager of operations, in his update to the technical committee. The project should start in May.

Construction will take 2 1/2 to 3 years to complete and will create 500 construction-related jobs, Curry said.

“All funds for the $48-million project have been secured through local, state, and federal sources,” he said.

In his update, Tom Kotay with Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail said the organization has applied to PennDOT for a grant to upgrade the portion of the rail trail from Mount Gretna south to the Lebanon/Lancaster line. He reminded committee members of the 30^th anniversary celebration of the rail trail set for 10 a.m. June 6 at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center.

The next meeting of the MPO Technical Committee is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 19, in Room 207, Lebanon Municipal Building, 400 S. 8^th St., Lebanon, and is open to the public.