Dinniman Urges PennDOT to Speed Up Route 23 Bridge Project

In case it has not been made any clearer, the traffic situation on Route 23 in Schuylkill Township is a bit of a nightmare, bad enough that people are getting visions of velociraptors patrolling the detour routes (don’t ask).

The commuters have praised the work by Schuylkill Township police officers, who have done everything they can to keep things flowing, but there is only so much they can do. State Senator Andy Dinniman has called on PennDOT officials to step up and provide more assistance for the frustrated drivers.

“To call it an inconvenience is an understatement,” said Dinniman in a statement. “My office has already received complaints from hundreds of drivers who have been stuck in traffic on the detour. And economically, it’s taking a major toll on area businesses and companies.”

In a May 4 letter to Christine Reilly, Acting PennDOT District 6-0 Executive, Dinniman called on the department to do the following:

• Consider expediting the project by extending construction hours to include weekends and evenings.
• Consider providing assistance to municipalities for traffic management and control costs related to the project.

In addition, Dinniman suggested that PennDOT work with local municipalities on developing detour routes, noting that the bridge’s closure is pouring more vehicles onto already-congested roads.

“The present detour routes have resulted in extreme complications for those living or commuting throughout the Phoenixville area,” he wrote in the letter. “Further, it has come to my attention that many tractor trailers are disregarding PennDOT regulations and are following the traffic pattern reserved for non-commercial drivers through the downtown business district of Phoenixville borough.”

(Twitter photo/@TheDevilsShare)