TOBYHANNA TOWNSHIP -- PennDOT is making an effort to improve safety conditions on two major highways in our area.
On Monday, crews began installing guide rails along Interstate 380 in Monroe County to prevent vehicles from crossing over the median and into oncoming traffic. PennDOT also plans to place them along Interstate 80 in Monroe and Carbon Counties.
PennDOT is placing the new guide rails along the interstates in an effort to prevent drivers from crossing over the medians and into the opposite lanes.
"I definitely think it's something that should have been done a long time ago, but as long as they're getting it done now, definitely,” said Jennifer Greeley from Tobyhanna.
“I drive down that road and cars are really crazy and like I said, you're a good driver, but you don't know good the other driver is, and next thing you know, there goes an accident,” said Diana Cruz from Tobyhanna.
The guide rails are going in after several crossover crashes resulted in deaths on those highways.
One horrific crash happened in June 2015 on Interstate 380 near the Tobyhanna exit. Investigators say a trailer tractor crossed over from the southbound lanes into the northbound lanes, causing a tour bus carrying tourists from Italy to hit the rig's trailer. The bus driver and two of his passengers died.
“It was a horrible, horrible accident, so I think it's a good thing. It's about time, don't you think?” said Mary Anne Katz from East Stroudsburg.
“That was terrible, the bus burned completely. That was horrible,” said Nathan Thomas from Tobyhanna.
Last November, two children and a man died after the man's box truck crossed into the opposite lanes, hitting the car with the children on Interstate 80 at the Tannersville exit.
“It's just sad. Every day in the newspaper or the news, it's just somebody from our community, somebody that the kids go to school with, somebody that you see in the supermarket,” said Greeley.
PennDOT says this is $2.1 million project, and it will be installing a mixture of concrete barriers, cable guide rails, and traditional guide rails.
Great job PENNDOT. Keep up the great work.
Would have been timely in May of 2015.
It’s always after the fact, isn’t it?
They can save money by putting up one barrier down the center of the median, instead of on both sides.