Allentown (Oct. 30, 2012) – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) advises drivers numerous state roads remain closed or restricted in East Central Pennsylvania because of flooding, downed trees and/or downed utility lines caused by Hurricane Sandy.
Here is the latest list of road closings in PennDOT Engineering District 5, which includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties (as of 9 a.m.):
* PA 10 between Printz Road and Zion Road in Robeson Township is closed due to a downed tree; * PA 10 between Chestnut Hill Road and Weaver Road in Robeson Township is closed due to a downed utility; * PA 12/Warren Street Bypass east between Spring Valley Road in Muhlenberg Township and Elizabeth Avenue in Alsace Township is closed due to downed utility wires; * PA 12/Warren Street Bypass west between Carbon Street in the City of Reading and Spring Valley Road in Muhlenberg Township is closed due to downed utility wires; * PA 61 between PA 73 and Ashley Way/Orchard Lane in Ontelaunee Township isclosed due to a downed utility;
* PA 143 between Little Round Top Road and Kunkel Road in Albany Township is closed due to a downed tree; * PA 143 between Covered Bridge Road in Windsor Township and Hein Road in Greenwich Township is closed due to a downed tree; * PA 419 between Strausstown Road in Upper Tulpehocken Township and Old Route 22 in Bethel Township is closed due to downed trees and utility wires; * PA 183 between West Leesport Road and Plum Creek Road in Bern Township isclosed due to a downed tree;
* PA 625 between Freemansville and Church roads in Cumru Township is closed due to downed trees and utility wires; * PA 737 between Snyder Road in Greenwich Township and Stony Run Valley Road in Albany Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Mount Laurel Road between Frush Valley Road in Muhlenberg Township and Heckman Road in Alsace Township is closed due to downed trees on utility wires; * Maidencreek Road between Evansville and Pleasant Hill roads in Maidencreek Township is closed due to a downed tree; * State Street between Hidden Valley and Centennial roads in Longswamp Township is closed due to flooding; * Pleasant Hill Road between US 222 and Maidencreek Road in Maidencreek Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Stony Run Valley Road between Kirk Road and Donat Road in Albany Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Mill Creek Road between Long Lane and Fenstermacher Road in Maxatawny Township is closed due to downed trees on utility wires; * Dryville Road between Locust Street in Richmond Township and Lyons Road in Rockland Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Bertolet Mill Road between PA 73 in Oley Township and Lobachsville Road in Pike Township is closed a due to flooding; * Mertztown Road between Valley Road and Lehigh County Line in Longswamp Township is closed a due to flooding; * Bellevue/Elizabeth Avenue between Chestnut and Oak streets in Laureldale Borough is closed due to downed trees and utility wires; * Shelbourne Road between Rugby Road and Gibraltar Road/Pennsylvania Avenue is closed in Exeter Township due to downed trees and utility wires; * Pine Forge Road between Grist Mill Road and Colebrookdale Road in Douglass Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Pine Forge Road between Douglass Drive in Douglass Township and PA 662 inAmity Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Pine Forge Road between Douglass and Woodbrook drives in Douglass Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Manatawny Road between Fisher Mill Road in Oley Township and Woodchoppertown Road in Earl Township is closed due to downed trees on utility wires; * Brownsville Road between Stricker and Milestone roads in North Heidelberg Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Brownsville Road between State Hill and Wagner roads in Lower Heidelberg Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Green Valley Road between Faust and Reigel roads in Lower Heidelberg Township is closed due to a downed tree; * North Heidelberg Road between Old Church and Christmas Village roads in North Heidelberg Township is closed due to a downed tree; * Frystown Road between Deck Drive and Lancaster Avenue in Bethel Township is closed due to a downed utility; * Irish Creek Road between Shartlesville Road in Penn Township and Hook Road in Centre Township is closed due to flooding; * Boundary Line Road between Molasses Hill Road and Focht Drive in Penn Township is closed due to a downed tree.
Also, these types of vehicles will be prohibited from traveling on the speed-restricted roadways:
* Class 9 vehicles (Overweight and over-dimensional trucks); * Empty straight trucks; * Large Combination Vehicles (tandem trailers and doubles); * Tractors hauling empty trailers; * Trailers pulled by passenger vehicles; * Motorcycles; and * Recreational Vehicles, or RVs.
Vehicles in these classifications should pull over to a safe area and wait for the restriction to be lifted.
Although PennDOT recommends not traveling during intense storms, motorists can check road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of state roads by calling 5-1-1 or visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 670 traffic cameras. Regional Twitter pages and personal alerts are also available on the 511PA website.
Travelers who must be on the roadways should be sure that they have an emergency kit packed in their vehicles. A basic kit should include non-perishable food, water, blanket, small shovel and warm clothes. When preparing an emergency kit, motorists should take into account special needs of passengers such as baby food, pet supplies or medications and pack accordingly.
PennDOT also reminds citizens that information such as checklists for emergency kits and templates for emergency plans, as well as other information and volunteer opportunities, is available at www.ReadyPA.org or by calling 1-888-9-READYPA (1-888-973-2397).
