Uniontown, PA – PennDOT District 12 would like to update motorists on the emergency closure of Route 40 in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County. The closure is located between the intersection of Route 281 and the Somerset County line.

The closure is due to a slide which has blocked the roadway with rocks, trees, and debris. The closure will remain in effect until further notice. District 12 engineers evaluated all options to see if traffic could be allowed back on this section Route 40. The decision was made to keep the roadway closed in the interest of motorist safety. A contractor is currently working to stabilize the hillside and will be working 12 hour shifts and into the holiday weekend weather permitting.

Local traffic will be open to Jockey Hollow for boaters, all other thru traffic should use the marked detour using Route 281 to Confluence and Route 523 to Route 40.

All work 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 1000 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.

Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPittsburgh

Media contact: Jay Ofsanik, 724-439-7135

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