As a driver you may have noticed the current construction in Elizabethtown area on Cloverleaf Road. This construcion has been underway for quite some time and has caused some heavy traffic as well as frustration to drivers.

Walt Eckerd Jr., a Transportation Manager at PennDot, explained that features of the construction are widening the road, improving the stormwater drainage, and increasing safety. Penndot is using “three phases of construction to accomodate traffic,” Eckerd said.

Elizabethtown community members all have an opinion about the construction. Some are frustrated by it, while others were not bothered by it or even knew about it.

Jean Bortner explained that she has to drive through the constructon twice a week and that “it’s a pain. The traffic is heavy and I don’t like driving through there.” Doris Santee agreed with Bortner saying that it was “frustrating to drive through the constuction.”

Others have not been bothered by the traffic at all. In fact some seem optimistic. Joanne Getty remarked, “when it’s all over it will be worth it.” Jean Stivala does not use Cloverleaf Road that often but did mentioned “it is going to make it much safer.” Sandy Heck who drives in the construction everyday said that “I can put up with it for now. Eventually it will get better.”

Eckerd did have good news though.  “I have planned to have the major stuff done between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”  However, the constuction will not be officially over until ” mid to late May,” Eckard hoped.  “After the winter we’ll still have some work to do, but during the spring it will mostly be work during the night.”

Eckerd’s advice to drivers: “Be patient.” He also mentioned that he would rather drivers not take Schwanger instead.  “We don’t perfer to reroute traffic.” 

So if you need to drive through the Cloverleaf construction, be alert and patient.  It may be frustrating to slow down and be in heavy traffic, but keep in mind the end result.  Afterall, this construction is being done for you.

If you’d like to learn more abou the Penndot’s construction in Pennsylvania go to: http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/web.nsf/PennDOTHomepage?OpenFrameset.  While there you can download a state-wide construction map and check out more about the construction is PA.

Reported by: Keira P. Feagley, Elizabethtown College Junior

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 4:28 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.