The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has officially designated the stretch of U.S. Route 22 from the Interstate 78 split in Lehigh County to the Route 33 interchange in Northampton County as a safety corridor.

This initiative, championed by state Sen. Jarrett Coleman, aims to implement immediate measures to improve driver safety and reduce congestion.

“It seems like every day there’s another accident on Route 22,” Coleman said. “My constituents are always mentioning this concern to me. As a lifelong resident of Lehigh County, I have personally witnessed accidents on Route 22 causing injuries and creating traffic delays. I know Route 22 is horrific during rush hour and any time there’s been a crash, and I wanted to do something about it.”

In 2020, the Route 22 and Route 191 interchange experienced 93 crashes, resulting in 63 injuries. A PennDOT analysis attributed these incidents to factors such as unusual roadway layouts requiring rapid lane changes and short exit ramps.

Following his election in 2022, Coleman engaged in discussions with PennDOT officials regarding the alarming number of crashes, particularly those involving heavy trucks, on this segment of the highway. He formally requested the safety corridor designation through a letter last year and maintained regular communication with PennDOT to “emphasize its importance. “

“I appreciate that PennDOT analyzed the crash data and reached the same conclusion that everyone in the Lehigh Valley did,” Coleman said.

The safety corridor designation entails the installation of new signs and increased traffic enforcement along Route 22. According to PennDOT regulations, a safety corridor is defined as a section “targeted for the application of signs, increased levels of enforcement, and increased penalties specifically for the purpose of eliminating or reducing unsafe driver behaviors that are known to result in crashes and fatalities.”

“Safety on Pennsylvania roadways is always a top priority to PennDOT,” PennDOT District 5 Executive Christopher Kufro said. “As one of the most important arterial roadways in the Lehigh Valley, reducing crashes on U.S. 22 will not only save lives, but also decrease congestion. This safety corridor designation is another tool to reach that goal.”