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Weekend traffic lane restrictions scheduled this weekend for Route 22/322 in Dauphin area

HARRISBURG, Pa.– Motorists are advised that Route 22/322 will be restricted to a single lane in both directions this weekend in the general Dauphin Boroug...
contraflow lane

HARRISBURG, Pa.– Motorists are advised that Route 22/322 will be restricted to a single lane in both directions this weekend in the general Dauphin Borough area in Dauphin County for the installation of the second contra-flow gate in the median of the highway. Starting at 9 PM on Friday, April 22, the construction crews will work to install the second contra-flow gate just north of the eastbound Route 22/322 off-ramp to Front Street in the Heckton area of Middle Paxton Township, between Route 443 and Dauphin Borough. Crews will also be working on Saturday at the location where the first contra-flow gate was installed in Dauphin Borough, between the railroad underpass and the interchange with Route 225. The road should be restored to two lanes of traffic in both directions before 6 AM on Monday, April 25.

The installation of this second median contra-flow gate was originally scheduled for the weekend of April 8-11, but postponed to this coming weekend due to the snow storm that occurred on April 9 and Penn State University’s Blue-White Game at last weekend.

Once installed, these metal contra-flow gates can be opened by PennDOT county maintenance crews to assist in moving traffic from the side of the highway where traffic is stopped due an incident, such as a vehicular crash, to the non-incident side of the highway where traffic can continue to move, one lane in each direction, separated by traffic cones. The diverted traffic on the opposite side of the highway would continue in that direction around the incident until it reaches the second gate location and then be redirected back onto their original side of the highway.

The initiative to install these two median gate openings was prompted by concerns about vehicular crashes that could close down a direction of Route 22/322 for several hours or more while Route 11/15 on the west side of the Susquehanna River is closed for three months this year (May 1 to July 30) just south of Marysville in Perry County for a rock slope safety improvement project. With Route 11/15 closed, there are very limited options for motorists – especially commuters — traveling north and south through the Susquehanna Valley should an incident close one or both directions of Route 22/322. The contra-flow gates will provide an option to be deployed to help get motorists moving should an incident close a direction of Route 22/322 between Route 225 in Dauphin and Route 443 in Middle Paxton Township.

“We’re taking a number of steps to improve traffic flow and safety on Route 22/322 in preparation for increased traffic when it’s used as a detour later this spring and summer while Route 11/15 is closed,” said Mike Keiser, PennDOT’s District 8 Executive responsible for highways, bridges, and traffic safety in south central Pennsylvania. “The contra-flow gates are another tool in our toolbox to use if an incident should shut down one side of the highway for a prolonged period of time. It is also a tool that will remain in place long after the Route 11/15 project is finished and be available as part of the emergency response to future incidents on this portion of the Route 22/322 corridor.”

Deployment of the contra-flow gates will be considered if it is determined that a road closure in the area between the gates will extend significantly more than three hours.

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