PennDOT designates Route 40 as Highway Safety Corridor
Zach Petroff
In an effort to make Route 40 in Wharton Township safer for drivers, the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced on Monday that the roadway is now a highway safety corridor.
“This section of Route 40 has been identified as a critical location for enhanced measures due to its historical higher-than-average crash rates.. From 2009 to 2023 there were 563 crashes, 17 of those crashes were fatal and resulted in 19 deaths. 276 of those crashes were the result of DUI, speeding and aggressive driving,” said PennDOT District 12 Executive Rachel Duda.
Data from PennDOT District 12 indicated that there were 13 crashes on Route 40 between Route 381 and Hawes Road from 2018 to 2022, resulting in 13 minor injuries.
State police Lt. Michael Irwin noted that police presence along the roadway has increased over the years, but this new designation will enable stricter penalties, with fines doubling for violations.
The primary purpose is to reduce crashes, and speed and distracted driving are the driving factors for that, Irwin said.
A highway safety corridor is a designated section of highway identified by a traffic study as needing increased signage, enhanced enforcement, and higher penalties to combat unsafe driving behaviors that contribute to crashes and fatalities.
Last year, township Supervisor Brian VanSickle described Route 40 as “a deadly and dangerous road” following a collision involving a commercial semi-truck and two passenger vehicles near Meadow Run Drive. Five died as a result of the crash, including an infant.
Duda said PennDOT had been working with state police in an effort to make the roadway safer but thanked Wharton Township leaders who reached out to the state agency last year for help.
“Wharton Township did come to us last year after several horrific crashes…(It made PenDOT) look at it even deeper.”
Irwin said the department aims for zero crashes moving forward.
“Our goal is to ensure everyone travels safely on the highway, and we hope to achieve that,” Irwin said.
To qualify as a highway safety corridor, a roadway must meet four criteria: the number of crashes in the last five years must exceed that expected for a similar roadway, there must be designated areas for police to pull over drivers, adequate space for required signage must be available and PennDOT must receive a written commitment from law enforcement to enforce the corridor.
“This new designation for Route 40 reflects our commitment to improve safety for all motorists and reduce the risk of crashes on our roadways,” Duda said.