A mountain of difficulty: Route 164 normally perilous in winter |

For a lot of several years, hundreds of Saxton-Wide Leading area inhabitants have been building day by day trips up and around Route 164, positioned in both of those Bedford and Blair counties. The trips have been for do the job in quite a few Blair County factories, medical professional offices and retail areas.

Recognised by a amount of names together with Tussey, Fredericksburg and Cove Mountain, the a few-mile journey up the Bedford County side for the duration of the winter months has not generally been enjoyable for motorists. The Bedford County facet of Route 164 experienced always been, until a pair many years in the past, maintained by Bedford County PennDOT.

The freeway is now maintained by Blair County PennDOT officials. The alter has quite a few motorists who use the roadway questioning why such a improve was manufactured and why it does not feel to acquire the exact same awareness that it did prior to.

Hollidaysburg PennDOT District 9 headquarters community info officer (PIO) Tara Callahan-Henry said Blair County has been maintaining the Liberty Township side of Route 164 for the past many decades in purchase that one particular truck can support the total size to build a steady amount of services from end to stop. The county line is at the best of mountain, she reported, which in the earlier developed inconsistencies with situations on either facet of the best depending when the truck from both aspect serviced the street.

Other variables ended up the miles every single truck has to company, length of time to assistance the routes assigned to just about every truck and range of vans at just about every stockpile in the party of breakdowns.

In the previous, there have been numerous motor automobile mishaps on both sides of Route 164 because of to very poor roadway problems. There have also been several motorists stranded both on and off the roadway until eventually support arrived.

One of the most latest instances where weather conditions and lousy roadway conditions triggered issues was just immediately after the initially of the New 12 months when a Saxton Fireplace Company ambulance en route with a client certain for Conemaugh Nason Professional medical Center skilled complications. At the time, a snowstorm in the region produced problems tricky.

The ambulance and its crew commenced its ascent up Route 164 from Route 26. The operator experienced the ambulance in four-wheel drive prior ascending Route 164.

Halfway up the mountain, the ambulance encountered a snow-protected roadway with evidence in tire tracks in the snow of numerous cars just about sliding off the roadway. Sources from PennDOT were being instantly alerted. At the time the ambulance crested the mountain, a further motor car crashed into the guiderails near the Match Commission facility. The driver alerted Bedford County 911 staff to the crash and geared up to examine on occupant conditions.

The driver of the car feverishly spun into reverse, nearly lacking the ambulance. County Handle was once again alerted that highway disorders were being treacherous.

Seemingly, highway conditions had been not ideal on the Blair County side possibly, but improved slightly once in Martinsburg. It wasn’t until Route 36 that situations enhanced dramatically.

Upon the crew’s return, they identified the mountain was in worse affliction than their trek to the medical centre. Other motor vehicles were off the roadway and in the ditch.

County Management was once again notified that the roadway experienced not acquired PennDOT resources and advised they ended up closing down the mountain from the Blair County aspect. Added resources from both the Saxton and Martinsburg fireplace law enforcement units ended up requested to shut down each sides of the mountain right up until it was plowed and treated.

It was documented that at 1 time there were approximately 10 vehicles in a wide spot at the major of the mountain and an ambulance that was out of company thanks to highway circumstances.

Disclaimer: The intent of this information short article is not to discredit PennDOT or the high-quality do the job they do. But instead to stage out that motorists traveling Route 164 have a authentic problem about winter street ailments their and their basic safety.