Cumberland County commissioners urge PennDOT action regarding I-81 safety, congestion

Following several crashes along I-81 between exits 42 and 52, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution last week calling on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to help initiate steps to improve safety along the interstate.

“We understand widening I-81 has a tremendous cost, but it’s time for our state and federal transportation planners and elected representatives to finally address the dire need for capacity expansion,” the commissioners wrote in a joint statement. “In the meantime, we urge PennDOT to study what short-term actions could be taken now to help improve safety and reduce congestion.”

I-81 runs the entire length of Cumberland County, carrying more than 70,000 or more vehicles each day. Up to a third of those travelers being trucks. County reports show that many of the interchanges and ramps were designed in the 1960s and are no longer in line with current design standards, which does not allow for them to support current traffic levels.

The commissioners’ resolution is urging PennDOT to prioritize and expedite the engineering and design work needed to widen the I-81, stating that they would support all efforts from PennDOT to secure funding for the project. Until the funding comes through, however, the commissioners also asked that PennDOT conduct a safety study and make recommendations on interim safety improvements to decrease crashes and reduce congestion.