ROAD WATCH for May 17
Governor Edward G. Rendell proclaimed Monday, Maya 18, as Buckle Up Pennsylvania Day, urging all motorists to wear their seat belts every time they are riding in a vehicle.
Last year in the state 567 of those killed in traffic crashes were not wearing seat belts. In addition, 65 percent of all nighttime fatalities were unbuckled drivers or passengers.
To encourage more people to buckle up, more than 450 municipal police departments and state police will be enforcing the state’s seat belt law during the Click It or Ticket campaign between May 18 and June 7.
Under Click It or Ticket a motorist who is stopped and cited for a traffic violation will receive a second ticket and second fine for not buckling up. More than 5,600 seat belt citations were written duirng last year’s Click It or Ticket campaign.
In addition, nearly 300 citations were issued for child passenger safety violations.
Encouraging seat belt use is one of the primary messages of PennDOT’s new Drive Safe PA campaign, which reminds motorists to avoid life-threatening behaviors behind the wheel.
Through Drive Safe PA, PennDOT aims to save at least 100 or more lives on the state’s roads each year.
PennDOT reminds motorists there aere three seat belt violations that are primary offenses:
BULLET Drivers are responsible for securing children from birth to age four in an approved child safety seat.
BULLET A driver who is under the age of 18 may not operate a vehicle where the number of passengers exceeds the number of available seat belts.
BULLET Federal law requires commercial vehicle operators to wear a seat belt.
On Thursday, from 7 to 11 p.m., there will be nighttime traffic safety and seat belt enforcement on Township Line Road (U.S. Route 1) in Haverford; Route 13 (Chester Pike) by Ridley Park and Glenolden police; and on West Chester Pike (Route 3) by Upper Darby police.
For more information on Drive Safe PA, contact the PennDOT Press Office at RA-penndotpress@state.pa.us.
King of Prussia Road
PennDOT reopened King of Prussia Road in Radnor late Friday afternoon following major structural repairs to the stone masonry bridge near the intersection of Gulph Creek Road.
King of Prussia Road was closed to traffic on April 20 due to a severely damaged stone wing wall that supported the roadway approach to the bridge. The damaged portion of the wall was 12 feet wide by 12 feet high.
The small bridge spanning Gulph Creek and located between Gulph Creek and Biddulph roads was built in 1935 and carries about 16,000 vehicles a day. The bridge is 17 feet long and 22 feet wide.
PennDOT work crews from Delaware and Montgomery counties worked six days a week over the past three weeks to remove and replace both stone wing walls on the north side of Gulph Creek, and to rebuild the roadway approach to the bridge.
“Our bridge crews…did a terrific job in working nearly every day since April 21 to rebuild two badly deteriorated walls,” said PennDOT District Executive Lester C. Toaso.
Seat Belt Challenge
The Delaware County Transportation Management Association will award a cash prize and trophy to the winning school in the first Delaware County High School Seat Belt Challenge on Monday at Archbishop Prendergast High School in Upper Darby.
The school’s students showed the most improved seat belt use rate in the contest. The challenge is sponsored by the DCTMA in conjunction with Delaware County Highway Safety, a division of Public Health Management Corp.
Both organizations receive funding from PennDOT.
Curb Ramps
Construction began last week on a $346,860 project to replace 92 curb ramps at 12 intersections in Delaware County, PennDOT reported.
Crews will restrict traffic intermittently at the intersection of Baltimore Pike and Oak Avenue in Upper Darby and Clifton Heights between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area.
Additional intersections are scheduled to have ramps replaced along Baltimore Pike in Upper Darby, Springfield and Morton, and also along Springfield Road in Clifton Heights.
The work is expected to be finished by June.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, PennDOT installed more than 100,000 curb ramps between 1992 and 1995 for use by individuals with disabilities.
Since that time, design standards for curb ramps have changed and most ramps must be rebuilt to conform to the latest standards.
Traffic Delays
Radnor – Lancaster Avenue (Route 30), traffic signal work between Old Eagle School Road and Lowerys Lane 7 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
West Baltimore Avenue – Upper Darby and Lansdowne, AT&T conduit installation, one lane closed between Church Lane and Lansdowne Avenue 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; 6 p.m.-6 a.m. weekdays through June 12. Work begins Monday.
Upper Chichester – Naamans Creek Road, utility installation, closed/detoured between Meetinghouse Road and I-95, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., weekdays through July 18. Work began May 11.
Haverford – Coopertown Road, Aqua installation, closed/detoured between College Avenue and Darby Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 28. Work began April 20.
Also, College Avenue closed/detoured 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays between Coopertown Road and Spring Mill Lane.
Marple – Media Line Road, Aqua installation between Lovell Avenue and Highland Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m weekdays through May 29. Work began Jan. 12.
Chester — Flower Street, ramp construction with a new traffic pattern at Fourth and Second streets, 24-hour restriction through 2011. Work began Jan. 12.
Also, Norris Street, ramp construction with lane restrictions at Front Street and Delaware Avenue, 24-hour restriction through 2011. Work began Jan. 12.
Ridley Park – Ridley Avenue, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Constitution Avenue and Cresswell/Tasker streets 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays and through Aug. 28. Work began March 9.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.