CLEARFIELD – Tractor-trailers going where they shouldn’t are still plaguing the residents of Flegal Road and especially Pifer Road and beyond.
At Tuesday’s Lawrence Township Supervisor’s meeting, William Brion, who owns a camp which is accessed off of Pifer Road, spoke to the supervisors about the problem.
He said a truck with a 53-foot trailer made it all the way to the camp, where his son currently lives. The camp is accessed via a dirt road maintained by the family.
Brion said there have been five trucks down Pifer Road this year, but this is the first one that made it all the way to his property where there is no through-road and no room for such a vehicle to turn around. A wrecker had to be called to pull the vehicle back to the main road.
“Someone is going to get hurt,” he said, adding that damage is being done to the roads and there is the possibility of a truck going into Lick Run as well.
The supervisors have been battling this problem for some time. There are signs where Flegal Road connects with U.S. Route 322, but the drivers either ignore them, or can’t read them. Some GPS systems direct drivers off of Interstate 80 to this route to get to the truck stop.
Solicitor James Naddeo has contacted some of the companies to no avail. Even if they do update the systems, the truck companies don’t always update the GPS units. Additionally, the county map itself is wrong, Supervisor Randy Powell noted.
The township has requested larger signs to be placed, including a lighted sign, but the state Department of Transportation denied the requests.
After some discussion, the supervisors said they would continue to explore options and suggested residents could contact PennDOT and also their state representatives.
Also, regarding Pifer Road, resident Glenn Johnston asked when the township will be applying any bonding agent to the road. He noted that a portion of the road was initially scheduled for tar and chip, but instead the township placed driving surface aggregate stone on the road, and it is now very dusty and deteriorating in places.
Roadmaster Ron Woodling said he hasn’t been to see it yet, but he understands the problem is at the turn and that it is a problem with other dirt and gravel roads in the township.
Woodling said he would look at the road and see if there is anything that can be done, as the money for tar and chip has been allocated for this year.
Other road issues were briefly discussed as well. Residents of Spring Street in Hillsdale said their portion of the street hasn’t been paved since the 1980’s, and the road is sinking and is damaged by water run-off from rain and vehicle traffic. They also said the ditches need to be cleaned. Woodling said he would look into that as well.
A portion of Coal Hill, also known as Guelich Street, will be closed for road work beginning July 22. There are two homes on this portion and the homeowners will have access.
