SWATARA, Pa. — One of Dauphin County's most dangerous roads for pedestrians will be receiving safety improvements from PennDOT next year.
PennDOT announced pedestrian safety upgrades for Eisenhower Avenue between Highland Street and Lindle Road. Those improvements include sidewalks on both sides of the street, crosswalks at the intersections, the addition of bike lanes, and additional lighting.
PennDOT officials say the frequency of pedestrians making a run for it across the road prompted them to act.
"It's not a well-lit quarter," said Kyle Kreiser, a project manager for PennDOT. "There are a lot of crossings that aren't at crosswalks. A lot of businesses and a lot of hotels are on both sides of the road."
Hotels such as the Red Roof Inn and La Quinta are of particular concern, as those living in them often have to cross the street to get to convenience stores on the other side,
Three pedestrians have been killed on this stretch of road since 2012, and numerous others have been hit.
"We got our study a little over a year ago, and there was a lot of foot traffic generated in that study," Kreiser said. "We're just trying to put them in a better position on where to cross and informing them that it's much safer up at the signals to cross now as opposed to just jumping out where they feel safe."
Construction is expected to begin during the 2025 construction season. Additional details of the plan can be found here.