​The northwest region of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reminding motorists to stay alert when driving through the work zones on Interstate 79 in Mercer County.

The work zones are set up intermittently in the northbound and southbound lanes in connection with paving work along the centerlines from mile marker 110 at the Lawrence-Mercer county line to mile marker 141 at the Mercer-Crawford county line. 

Motorists should be alert for decreased speed limits of 60 miles per hour and 45 miles per hour. As part of the effort to calm traffic and increase safety for the workers, the traffic pattern is set up with lane closures varying between the travel and passing lanes.  

PennDOT urges motorists to slow down when driving in work zones, and also to be alert to changing conditions, avoid distractions and to pay attention to signs and flaggers. Drive responsibly in work zones for your safety and the safety of the workers.

The contractor is Suit-Kote Corporation of Meadville, PA. The contract cost is $943,602, which is to be paid entirely with federal funds. Work on the project started August 24, 2020 and is expected to be completed in mid-September 2020. 

Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.

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 accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.gov/District1. 

Follow PennDOT’s northwest region on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAErie or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northwestregionpenndot. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035

# # #