100-mile detour on Pennsylvania Turnpike to begin May 6

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is warning truckers about a more than 100-mile detour along the turnpike on Interstate 70/76.

According to a news release, an 86-mile stretch of Interstate 70/76 in Pennsylvania is set to be closed eastbound overnight on Saturday, May 6, into Sunday morning, May 7. Specifically, the closure will begin at 11 p.m. on Saturday between the New Stanton (Exit 75) and Breezewood (Exit 161) interchanges. That portion of the turnpike will reopen at around 6 a.m. on Sunday.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is telling commercial customers to plan accordingly for a lengthy detour or avoid the area during the closure.

Motorists at the New Stanton Interchange will be provided the suggested detour route:

• Exit at the New Stanton Interchange and follow U.S. Route 119/PA Turnpike Route 66 (0.2 miles).
• Follow PA Turnpike Route 66 north (14.2 miles).
• Follow U.S. Route 22 east (63.7 miles).
• Follow I-99 south (30.4 miles).
• Follow U.S. Route 30 east (18.3 miles).
• Reenter the PA Turnpike at the Breezewood Interchange.

The seven-hour closure on the Pennsylvania Turnpike is necessary for crews to safely conduct towing recovery operations for a trailer that crashed in the eastbound lanes at mile marker 125.5, Somerset County, on Jan. 11 inside of a construction zone. That trailer has been sitting behind construction safety barriers since then. Additionally, crews will also be repairing the roadway in both travel lanes at mile marker 130, Bedford County, which was damaged in a separate incident.

The more than 100-mile detour is necessary to safely accommodate the volume of diverted traffic, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. Travelers should expect higher than normal traffic volumes on this detour route during the closure and should plan accordingly. Message boards will be placed to inform customers of the closure.

Vehicles will be permitted to enter the Turnpike at the Bedford Interchange (Exit 146) and travel eastbound during this closure. All westbound traffic is permitted in the corridor during the eastbound closure.

For up-to-date Pennsylvania Turnpike road closure information, download the 511PA smartphone app, visit 511PA.com (live, interactive map) or dial 511 from any Pennsylvania roadway for local travel information. LL

More Pennsylvania news can be found here.