PENN TOWNSHIP, Perry County, Pa. — A new work zone traffic pattern was established Wednesday night as part of PennDOT’s safety improvement project to address the rock slope along Route 11/15 just south of Duncannon in Penn Township, Perry County. Southbound traffic has been shifted onto the northbound side of the roadway. In other words, the northbound side of Route 11/15 in this area south of Duncannon now carries both one lane of northbound and one lane of southbound traffic. The lanes are 11 feet wide, separated by double yellow lines. Nearly 12,400 vehicles travel this portion of Route 11/15 on a daily basis. The southbound roadway is now available for construction crews to use their equipment to remove loose rock and vegetation from the cliff face along nearly a half-mile portion of Route 11/15 just north of Cove Road. A concrete barrier separates traffic from the construction work.
Motorists are reminded that there will be no traffic lane restrictions or stoppages weekdays during the project between 6 AM to 8:30 AM in the morning and between 3:30 PM to 6 PM in the afternoon. Outside of these hours, however, motorists may encounter traffic stoppages. Since this project involves removing trees and rocks from heights up to 147 feet, it may be necessary to stop traffic completely in both directions for the safety of motorists.
When this occurs, each traffic stoppage should not last more than 15 minutes.
Motorists are asked to be alert to this new traffic pattern, to obey work zone signs and construction personnel dealing with traffic, and to slow down when approaching and traveling through the work area – for their safety as well as for the safety of the work crews.
PennDOT has contracted with the Joseph B. Fay Company of Russellton, Pennsylvania, to conduct the safety improvement project at a cost of $4,313,544. The purpose of the project is to help improve the safety of the
Route 11/15 corridor from falling debris. The rock cut slopes were constructed during the late 1930s and since that time, vegetation growing along the rock faces, weathering, and freeze thaw cycles have loosened the rock on the slopes, causing debris to fall occasionally or collect on ledges high above the highway. Where the slopes are steep and unstable, there is a need to control random falling loose rock and to prevent them from falling onto the shoulders and into the travel lanes. In addition to removing vegetation and loose rock, the project also includes installing a wire mesh protection system to control rock that may become loose and fall off in the future. A concrete safety barrier will be installed at the bottom of the slope from the rock face, and the Route 11/15 roadway in this area will be milled and repaved. The overall project is scheduled to wrap up by late October
