This project is for the safety improvement of the Route 54 corridor near the Route 642 West (Liberty Valley Road) and Route 642 East (Jerseytown Road) intersections. The preferred alternative selected by PennDOT as presented at the November 2017 public meeting, was met with concerns by the public. PennDOT then formed a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to assist in the development of the final alternative and possible interim options that could be implemented to assist with the flow of traffic through the corridor.
The CAC was assembled to represent a cross section of the stakeholders. PennDOT asked the municipalities to select one resident, one business representative and one municipal official from each of the local municipalities. In addition, local representatives from the Fire Companies, Emergency Services, Police Departments, School District, and County Commissioner's Office are included. A representative from Geisinger Health Center was also included due to the large volume of traffic in the corridor generated by that campus (employees, patients, and other business partners). A representative from SEDA-COG was also asked to be part of the CAC, as they are the planning organization responsible for the transportation needs of the region.
PennDOT's team consisted of Project Management personnel, Traffic Specialists, Municipal Services, and Consultants all collectively developing the project.
The purpose of the CAC was to review the corridor and develop options that meet needs of ALL stakeholders. Both interim and long-term solutions were considered throughout the process. PennDOT is dedicated to engineering a project that meets the purpose and need, fits within the context of the surrounding community, provides a safe roadway corridor for today's motorists and accommodates future traffic growth.
After the CAC process was completed, a public meeting was held on October 16, 2018 to announce the project chosen by the CAC and show the timeline for the construction of the final alternative.
PennDOT is currently advancing the preferred alternative through the final design phase and anticipates that construction could begin as soon as the Summer of 2024. A meeting was held on September 21, 2023 with the CAC to provide an update on the progress of the design and to discuss the anticipated sequence of construction.
Example Video of Displaced Left Turn at Route 54 and Route 642.
Note: This video is an example and is not produced to scale.