|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
State
Rep. Frank Dermody |
|
Dermody takes action after rock slide closes Route 28
Click to view Rep. Dermody’s letter.
HARRISBURG, Oct. 3 – In the wake of today's massive rock slide in Allegheny County that brought down house-sized boulders onto a major commuter route, completely shutting down both the northbound and southbound lanes, state Rep. Frank Dermody has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transportation Administration urging the agencies to help address the problem.
Dermody said the rock slide on Route 28 in Harmar, which happened at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, caused a multi-vehicle accident.
"Unfortunately, this is not an unusual event for motorists traveling on Route 28," Dermody wrote. "Just this year alone the region has been impacted by over a half dozen slides along Route 28. Concern about the hillside stabilization has been mounting with land and rock slides dating back decades."
Dermody acknowledged that the state has been working to allocate funding for the hillside stabilization project, but more help is needed. If the size and volume of the rocks that fell today are any indication, he said that the problem will only get worse.
"I believe that the stabilization issue of the hillside along Route 28 is going to require greater funding resources than we can handle on the state level and I am respectfully requesting help from the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Transportation Administration."
State Route 28 connects the Allegheny Valley with Pittsburgh. This major connector is traveled by between 21,000 and 65,000 motorists daily. Dermody said there is no other transit option for Allegheny Valley commuters to get into the city so the problems with the hillside create a major transportation crisis for the region.
In his letter, Dermody invited the federal agencies' engineers to join him and PennDOT officials on a site tour.
Dermody also has solicited the support and help of House Transportation Chairman Joseph Markosek.
“I applaud Representative Dermody for his enthusiasm and hard work in making an attempt to procure finding for this very important project," said Markosek, D-Allegheny/Westmoreland.
###agh/2007/mjh l:\print\releases\rockslide.033
ATTN EDITORS: A copy of Rep. Dermody's letter is attached.
|
CONTACT: Amy Giancoli Hartman Phone: 717-787-7895 Email: ahartman@pahouse.net |