This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

PennDOT Updates Truck Signs in Macungie

New signs are an attempt to further restrict trucks on Route 100.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has placed several new signs warning drivers of tractor trailers to not proceed past Buckeye Road when traveling on Route 100 South.

All trucks over 45-foot in length must turn onto Buckeye Road and proceed to Route 29 South in order to avoid the dangerous curves on Route 100S. They are also restricted from traveling onto Route 100 North from Route 29, as reflected by signs at the triangle where the roads meet.

“Hopefully, they [truck drivers] will have no excuses for going up the hill,” said Macungie Council member Dorothy Kociuba at the June 20  meeting.

Find out what's happening in Lower Macungiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

for either going up the hill or coming down and winding thru the dangerous S-curves, sometimes causing property damage because their trucks are too wide for their lane.

“Trucks over a certain length and width are not permitted on the road.  Most truckers know the width of their trailer, but don’t know what the total length of their truck is,” said Guy Ramsey, president. 

Find out what's happening in Lower Macungiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But, he added, the signs were confusing to truck drivers and they started to complain about the tickets they were receiving.  The new signs do not allow any trucks over a 45-foot width to go up or down the hill through the curves.

“Now the signs are very clear,” Ramsey said, “Every trucker knows if they have a 48- or a 45-foot trailer behind their truck.

When the truckers were interviewed, they said they didn’t understand the signage.  It was not anyone’s impression that they didn’t see the signage – they just didn’t understand it, or chose to go past it, Ramsey continued.

Council member Chris Becker said he is dissatisfied with the placement and look of the signs. 

“I thought the signs would have been constructed differently,” Becker said.

Ramsey responded by telling him the borough didn’t do it.

“It’s not our ordinance, we just enforce it, it’s a state ordinance and that’s why they decided what they wanted to do.  We didn’t put the signs up…we discussed it with them.”

Borough Manager Chris Boehm said the signs will be permanently placed in the sidewalk in 30 days.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Lower Macungie