September 19, 2023 – Sen. Nick Miller (D-Lehigh/Northampton) today announced that he secured up to $1 million in PennDOT funding for the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission for an update on the U.S. State Route 22 corridor study.
“State Route 22 has long been a nuisance for community members and travelers,” said Miller. “I’ve advocated for more funding to make the route wider to fix the near-constant congestion. It’s a route that many, many people utilize and we need to provide those on the road with a safer, better experience.”
Between State Route 1004 and State Route 22, it is estimated there is six hours of congestion daily.
“Route 22 is the Lehigh Valley’s most traveled highway,” said Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and Secretary of the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study Becky Bradley. “It’s our Main Street. The last time Route 22 was studied was 20 years ago and with our growth, more must be done. We now will be able to prioritize and invest in improvements making Route 22 better for everyone.”
Route 22 at the Lehigh River Bridge has nearly 110,000 vehicles per day, said Bradley.
“With the predicted growth in freight traffic from the FedEx facility and the Lehigh Valley International Airport on Airport Road, this study is urgent,” added Miller. “It is anticipated that this will cause even more congestion on State Route 22. The continued growth of warehouses and facilities in our area is bringing jobs and economic development, but residents need to be able to get to their jobs and homes safely, without sitting in traffic day in and day out. We want to continue to grow our region, but not at the expense of our local community members. It is critical that we invest in our infrastructure in the Lehigh Valley before it becomes too dire.”
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