01/30/2023
Montoursville, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has released data from preliminary traffic counts taken four months after the opening of the Northern Section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation (CSVT) Project.
The recent traffic estimates show that the CSVT River Bridge is carrying roughly 12,000 vehicles, including 3,100 trucks, per day. Traffic counts on Route 15 and Route 405 appear to show that CSVT has removed north-south through traffic from both Lewisburg Borough in Union County and Northumberland Borough in Northumberland County.
Route 15 south of Lewisburg Borough:
The daily total traffic volume counted (16,000) was roughly 30% less than prior to the CSVT Northern Section opening (23,000).
The daily truck volume counted (1,500) was roughly 30% less than prior to the CSVT Northern Section opening (2,100).
Route 405 (old Route 147) north of Northumberland Borough:
The daily total traffic volume counted (8,000) was roughly 40% less than prior to the CSVT Northern Section opening (13,000).
The daily truck volume counted (800) was roughly 75% less than prior to the CSVT Northern Section opening (3,100).
It does not appear that CSVT has substantially affected east-west traffic on Route 45 between the existing major north-south roadways of Route 15 and Route 147.
Route 45 near Montandon:
The daily total traffic volume counted (8,000) was roughly 10% less than prior to the CSVT Northern Section opening (9,000).
The daily truck volume counted (400) was roughly 20% less than prior to the CSVT Northern Section opening (500).
"I am pleased that the preliminary data shows that the new roadway is removing through traffic from local communities as anticipated," said District Executive Eric High. "Separating the through traffic from local traffic helps to reduce congestion and accommodate growth, while also improving safety."
The preliminary estimates are based on traffic counts performed in October of 2022. Following the opening of a new highway, it may take a year or more before new travel patterns are established. PennDOT anticipates performing additional traffic counts in late 2023 to further assess the effects of the CSVT Northern Section opening.
PennDOT notes that comparisons to traffic counts performed prior to the July 2022 opening of the CSVT Northern Section are complicated by the following:
Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which originally began in 2020 and continue to some extent today (due to long-term shifts to teleworking).
Impacts of the Duke Street reconstruction project in Northumberland, which was completed from 2017 to 2020.
Natural fluctuations in traffic volumes that occur day-to-day and year-to-year.
Due to these various circumstances, the above comparisons of traffic volumes before and after the CSVT Northern Section opening should be considered approximate.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Tioga, Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour and Columbia counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District3.
Information about infrastructure in District 3 including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D3Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Maggie Baker, 570-368-4202 or magbaker@pa.gov.
PennDOT Releases Preliminary Traffic Count Numbers After CSVT Opening
