BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Route 22 in the Lehigh Valley is set to be designated as a safety corridor by the state Transportation Department, state Sen. Jarrett Coleman announced Wednesday.
That will include the part of Route 22 "from the Interstate 78 split in Lehigh County to the PA 33 interchange in Northampton County," a release from Coleman said.
"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."State Sen. Jarrett Coleman
PennDOT regulations define a safety corridor as a section that 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."
The release says that, after Coleman was elected in 2022, he talked to PennDOT officials about the frequency of "accidents involving heavy trucks on this stretch of highway."
Last year, he sent a letter requesting the road to be designated a safety corridor.
"It seems like every day there's another accident on Route 22," Coleman said. "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."
'Absolutely needed'
State Rep. Peter Schweyer also has been vocal about traffic safety in the Lehigh Valley. He previously told LehighValleyNews.com "our single biggest source of danger is vehicular issues."
Schweyer also mentioned Route 22 specifically, talking about speeding and aggressive drivers.
Route 22 is "one of the most important arterial roadways in the Lehigh Valley."PennDOT District 5 Executive Christopher Kufro
According to Coleman's release, PennDOT analyzed crash data and made the decision to designate the local route a safety corridor.
PennDOT District 5 Executive Christopher Kufro called Route 22 "one of the most important arterial roadways in the Lehigh Valley."
Kufro said the safety corridor designation is "another tool" to reach the goal of reducing crashes and congestion.
"While long-term infrastructure improvements are absolutely needed, this safety corridor designation will immediately bring new signage and increased traffic enforcement to Route 22," Coleman said.
"Motorists may see signs going up already.”
