HARRISBURG – Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) announced today that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is designating U.S. Route 22 from the Interstate 78 split in Lehigh County to the PA 33 interchange in Northampton County as a safety corridor.
“It seems like every day there’s another accident on Route 22. My constituents are always mentioning this concern to me. As a lifelong resident of Lehigh County, I have personally witnessed accidents on Route 22 causing injuries and creating traffic delays. I know Route 22 is horrific during rush hour and any time there’s been a crash, and I wanted to do something about it,” Coleman said.
After Coleman’s election in 2022, he spoke to PennDOT officials about the number of accidents involving heavy trucks on this stretch of highway, and he sent them a letter last year specifically requesting the safety corridor designation. Since then, he followed up with them regularly to reinforce the importance of the issue.
“I appreciate that PennDOT analyzed the crash data and reached the same conclusion that everyone in the Lehigh Valley did,” Coleman said. “While long-term infrastructure improvements are absolutely needed, this safety corridor designation will immediately bring new signage and increased traffic enforcement to Route 22. Motorists may see signs going up already.”
“Safety on Pennsylvania roadways is always a top priority to PennDOT,” PennDOT District 5 Executive Christopher Kufro said. “As one of the most important arterial roadways in the Lehigh Valley, reducing crashes on U.S. 22 will not only save lives but also decrease congestion. This safety corridor designation is another tool to reach that goal.”
According to PennDOT regulations, a safety corridor is “targeted for the application of signs, increased levels of enforcement and increased penalties specifically for the purpose of eliminating or reducing unsafe driver behaviors that are known to result in crashes and fatalities.”
CONTACT: Leo Knepper, 717-787-1349