Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

UPDATE: 3:30 PM -- Route 59 has re-opened. UPDATE: PennDOT says the road will be closed at least until "early evening." They have posted detours using US Route 6 and Route 321. A tanker carrying diesel fuel crashed on Route 59 just east of Wolf Run Marina this morning. The driver was able to get out safely, with only minor injuries, but the tank is leaking. State police say they expect to keep one lane of the road open. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

More than a dozen bridges in McKean County – including one in Bradford – will be replaced under Pennsylvania’s Rapid Bridge Replacement Project. PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch announced today that the agency has finalized terms for the $899 million project that will replace 558 bridges across the state. The Bennett Brook Bridge in Bradford, Shep Run Road bridges in Custer City, and the Pennbrook and Foster Brook bridges in Derrick City are among those targeted for replacement. Plenary Walsh Keystone Partners and its team of 11 Pennsylvania-based subcontractors will lead the project, and will be responsible for getting the money to start replacing the bridges, as well as maintenance for 25 years after construction. HAZELHURST SR 6-US 6 MARVIN CREEK Mar 2017 > Oct 2017 MARVINDALE SR 6-US 6 WARNER BROOK Mar 2017 > Oct 2017 3 MI SE BETULA SR 46-PA 46 HAVENS BROOK May 2017 > Jan 2018 1 MI W ORMSBY SR 59-PA 59 TRIB KINZUA CREEK Jun 2016 > Aug 20...

The City of Bradford has received nearly half a million dollars in grant money for the Elm Street Gateway Project. Phase four of the project includes putting in new sidewalks, street lighting, ADA compliant curb ramps and a Share-the-Road bike lane. McKean County has received $1 million to acquire the Knox & Kane Rail Corridor. PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch made the announcement today. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Work on a section of Route 255 in St. Marys is finished, and traffic controls between the Tractor Supply intersection and Route 120 have been removed. For the past two construction seasons, work has included pavement repair, drainage improvements, addition of a right-turn lane for Route 255 northbound traffic at Vine Street, re-alignment of the Arch Street intersection, and a right turn lane on Route 120 east for Route 255 south traffic. Also, the project to rehabilitate sections of Routes 44 and 144 in Potter County is winding down, with a detour for Route 144 set to end tomorrow afternoon. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Harrisburg — PennDOT announced today that a new partnership will help keep teen drivers safe and save the commonwealth nearly $70,000 in annual printing costs. “The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program,” developed by the Safe Roads Alliance and sponsored by State Farm Insurance and Sheetz, provides parents with a printed handbook designed as a simple, easyto-follow guide to help their teens become safe and responsible drivers. The alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving highway safety by improving driver education with particular emphasis on behind-the-wheel training. The program also provides a mobile app to help parents track their teen’s practice drive times and training progress. Booklets have been printed and distributed to driver license centers statewide and will be distributed to all teen drivers when a learner’s permit is issued. “We are pleased to be part of this important collaborative effort to help parents and guardians actively guide their teens as ...

Ridgway – Work on some sections of Route 219 in Ridgway will affect area drivers Thursday, Sept. 25 and Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 29 and 30. On Thursday, crews will mill Route 219 from the bottom of Boot Jack Hill to Baker Alley and from the Central Fire Hall to Erie Avenue. On Monday and Tuesday, those same sections will be paved. Motorists using Route 219 in the Ridgway area will encounter travel delays and will need to be alert for flaggers in the roadway. All work is weather dependent. Should weather forecasts impact plans for Monday and/or Tuesday, work could be performed on Saturday, Sept. 27. Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. of State College is the contractor for this work which will take place during daylight hours only. Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 700 traffic cameras. 511PA is also a...

Harrisburg – PennDOT announced today that streaming video from its more than 700 traffic cameras is now available on 511PA. PennDOT recently upgraded its 511PA website and mobile application to allow for the continuously streaming footage. Previously, the site and mobile application were limited to providing real-time conditions using still images that were refreshed every five seconds. “Our 511 system puts travel information at drivers’ fingertips and helps them make travel decisions before and during their trip,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “The new streaming video shows real-time traffic flow to help give motorists an even better idea of what to expect on our roadways.” The streaming video is the latest improvement to the 511PA service. In May, PennDOT announced a 511PA smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices that provides hands-free and eyes-free travel alerts for the nearly 40,000 miles of road that PennDOT maintains as well as the Pennsylvan...

Kane drivers will be dealing with a detour later this month. Repairs to a railroad crossing on Fraley Street are scheduled for September 22 through the 26. Fraley Street will be closed starting on the 22, according to PennDOT. A detour will be in place for the five days the project is underway. The official detour will be routes 66, 948, 666 and 6. Motorists familiar with the area may use alternate routes, but are reminded that Hemlock Street has a 10-ton weight limit. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

PennDOT will start line-painting operations next week in Clearfield County. On Monday they will be painting lines in both the eastbound and westbound lanes from mile marker 120 in Clearfield County to mile marker 139 in Centre County. On Tuesday, they plan to paint from mile marker 123 in Woodland to mile marker 96 in DuBois. Signs and flashing lights mounted on the back of the moving equipment will warn motorists of the painting operation. PennDOT says motorists should stay eight to 10 car lengths behind the painting equipment to avoid running over wet paint. They say running over wet lines is the only way to get paint on your vehicle. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Work on the Route 346 bridge in Foster Township is coming to end, and the bridge should be re-opened by noon tomorrow so drivers won’t have to use the 12-mile detour any longer. The bridge has been has been closed since mid-June and PennDOT says if more progress is made today than planned it could open even earlier than noon tomorrow. The bridge spans a branch of Foster Brook, adjacent to Rob Roy Road in Foster Township and carries an average of more than 1,600 vehicles each day. Horizon Construction Group of Sandy Lake is the contractor for the $445,000 project. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

PennDOT Clearfield County Sign Crew members Sam Graham, left, and Joe Williams place a sign on Interstate 80 in Clearfield County near Exit 133 (Kylertown/Philipsburg). An 88-mile stretch of the highway was posted at 70-mph this morning as part of a pilot project. The posted speed limit on I-80 is now 70 mph between Exit 101 (DuBois) in Clearfield County and mile marker 189 in Clinton County. A section of I-380 in Monroe County was also posted at 70 mph today. PennDOT will use data collected from the pilot locations while evaluating other 65-mph roadway sections for potential 70-mph implementation in the spring or summer next year. Roadway sections that can safely accommodate the increased speed could start being signed soon after the evaluations are complete. Photo provided by PennDOT

People driving at 70 mph on Interstate 80 can start doing it legally next month – at least on parts of the road. 88 miles of I-80 – from Exit 101 in DuBois to mile marker 189 in Clinton County will have the 70 mph limit starting August 11. News Release: Pennsylvania moved ahead with steps to make travel more efficient today as the Pa. Turnpike activated its 70 mph speed limit from Blue Mountain (Interchange 201) to Morgantown (Interchange 298) and PennDOT announced it will launch 70 mph pilot projects on a pair of interstates next month. “As we increase the speed limit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, motorists need to increase their restraint behind the wheel accordingly,” said Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “Remember, even though we’re increasing the speed limit, motorists still must obey the law and drive safety. After all, 70 mph is the maximum speed, not the mandatory speed.” The Turnpike’s new 70 mph signs were put in place yesterday; it took Turnpike maintenance employees about s...

Work to replace the Wetmore Road Bridge will start on Monday. The bridge that spans Two Mile Run in Hamilton Township, about five miles west of Kane, will be replaced with a box culvert. PennDOT’s official detour will direct motorists to use Route 6, and they go back to Wetmore Road. Work is expected to last until mid-August, but PennDOT says the bridge and road will be re-opened earlier if progress allows. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Kane – Work to rehabilitate a section of Route 321 in McKean County will feature a detour, starting Tuesday. The detour is necessary so that full depth reclamation work can take place on the roadway without traffic disruptions. Route 321 will be closed from Route 59 south to Red Bridge Campground for this work. PennDOT’s official detour will use Routes 59, 219, 6, and 321, with Route 321 remaining open between Kane and Red Bridge Campground. The official detour is approximately 37 miles long. Drivers familiar with the area may choose to use alternate routes. Access for local property owners will be provided along this closed section on an as needed basis. The reclamation work in this phase is concentrated on a Route 321 project in Hamilton and Corydon Townships made possible by National Forest Finding. PennDOT expects this section of Route 321 to be closed until early August. A second closure affecting Route 321 from Kane Borough northeast through Wetmore Township and Hamilton To...

Part of Champlin Hill Road in Turtlepoint will be closed starting Monday so crews can repair a state-owned bridge. The 200-foot bridge spans the Allegheny River in the village and will get a new deck and beams, along with a small amount of paving. PennDOT’s official detour is about 8 ½ miles long and will take drivers to Route 155, Route 446 and then back to Champlin Hill Road. All work is weather dependent. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Work to replace a Route 356 bridge in Foster Township is scheduled to start June 16. The bridge, which spans a branch of Foster Brook adjacent to Rob Roy Road, will be closed at that time. The current 24-foot-long bridge will be replaced with a new box culvert. The 12-mile detour will use routes 346, 219, 46, 246 and Rock City Road. The bridge closure and detour are expected to be in place until August 25, but should be lifted by the time school starts, according to PennDOT. Horizon Construction Group Inc. of Sandy Lake is the contractor for the $445,450 project. All work is weather dependent. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Roadwork on Route 46 in Cameron County near the McKean County line is expected to cause some traffic delays. Work will start Tuesday to excavate existing road on a northern section of Route 46 in Shippen Township. Through mid-June, the road will be rebuilt and a new guiderail will be installed. All work is weather-dependent. The work will be going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flaggers will be controlling the alternating traffic pattern along the mile-long work zone. PennDOT is advising motorists to watch for slow-moving and stopped vehicles in the work zone. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Work to replace two bridges on Route 770 in Bradford Township is continuing, with temporary traffic signals scheduled for installation next Wednesday, May 7. The bridges span Minard Run about a half-mile apart near the village of Aiken. They carry an average of more than 3,000 vehicles daily. Originally built in 1927, the bridges will be replaced one side at a time. Beginning Wednesday, May 7, temporary traffic signals will be in place, enforcing an alternating traffic pattern at each bridge. Traffic will be controlled in this manner until the completion of the new structures sometime this fall. Under the traffic signal control, work to build the new bridges will continue one side at a time. Overall work includes replacement of the bridges, roadway and approach paving, guide rail updates, pavement markings, and miscellaneous items. The contractor for this $2.5 million job is L. C. Whitford of Wellsville, New York. All work is weather and schedule dependent. Drivers are rem...

Work will start next week on a section of Interstate 86 in Erie County about a mile west of the state line. The work to correct embankment erosion will involve installing a rock embankment and guiderail updates, according to PennDOT. Traffic may be restricted to a single lane during daylight hours when work is going on. The project is expected to be finished by July 1. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Lane restrictions will be in effect as crossing near Larabee is repaired ELDRED – Work to repair a railroad crossing on Route 446 in Eldred Township is scheduled for Thursday, April 24 and Friday, April 25. Crews from the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad will be working to repair a rail at the crossing, located between the villages of Coryville and Larabee. An alternating traffic pattern will be in place, enforced by flaggers in the roadway and crossing. Area drivers should expect short delays as this work takes place. All work is weather dependent. PennDOT reminds drivers to move through work zones with caution, obey posted speed limits and always buckle up. Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 680 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available by calling 5-1-1, and regional Twitter al...