PennDOT, PSP urges safety on active work zones as construction season begins
Mercer and Lawrence Counties, PA - With work being done on I-376 (Parkway West) Boyce Road to I-79, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is urging motorists to be careful when driving around work zones.
PennDOT held a media event featuring PennDOT officials and officers of the Pennsylvania Highway State Patrol (PSP) giving their ideas on work zone safety.
The week of April 21 to April 25 marks National Work Zone Awareness Week, which aims to open a dialogue on safe practices when driving through a work zone.
PennDOT claims in a media release that in 2024 alone there were 1,250 work zone crashes across the state, with 22 fatalities total amongst all.
Driving unsafe in work zones has both real and legal consequences. Motorists going 11 mph over a posted speed limit in an active work zone will automatically lose their license for 15 days.
If someone were to be convicted of homicide by vehicle for a crash that happened in a work zone, they would get five additional years of jail time. Fines are doubled for any offense committed when driving through a work zone.
The rehabilitation project on the I-376 bridge over Boyce Road between Ridge Road and I-79 includes a repave, ramp preservation, overhead sign structure repair, drainage, guide railings, sign installation and pavement marking.
Road restrictions during this project include the long-term closure of Boyce Road, ramp closures, overnight single-lane restrictions and four weekend-long single-lane closures.
The project is set to be completed in late 2025 with slight work continuing into 2026.
