***TRAFFIC UPDATE/ROAD CLOSINGS***

Allentown – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) advises motorists many state roads are closed in East Central Pennsylvania because of flooding and/or downed trees and power lines caused by Hurricane Irene last week and rain storms this week.

Here is the latest list of road closings in PennDOT Engineering District 5, which includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties (as of 11:30 a.m.):

Berks County
Route 61 North between Bellemans Church Road and Indian Manor Drive in Ontelaunee Township due to flooding;
Route 183 between Old Church and Heidelberg roads in Penn Township due to flooding;
Route 419 between High/Second Street and U.S. 422 in Womelsdorf Borough due to flooding;
U.S. 422 between Church Street in Robesonia Borough and Sportsman Road in Lower Heidelberg Township due to flooding;
Route 568 between White Bear Road and Main Street/Old River Road in Robeson Township due to a downed utility line;
Route 625 between Freemansville Road and Route 724/Philadelphia Pike in Cumru Township due to flooding;
Route 662 between Kutztown and Church Hill roads in Richmond Township due to a sinkhole;
Mt. Laurel Road/Leesport Avenue between Willow Creek Road and Huller Lane in Ontelaunee Township due to flooding;
Crystal Cave/Kutztown Road between Main Street in Richmond Township and Dunkles Church Road in Greenwich Township due to flooding;
Monocacy Creek Road between Monocacy Road and Ben Franklin Parkway in Amity Township due to flooding;
Monocacy Road between Monocacy Creek Road and Ben Franklin Highway in Amity Township due to flooding;
North Heidelberg Road between Christmas Village Road in North Heidelberg Township and PA 183 in Jefferson Township due to flooding;
North Boundary/Boundary Line Road between Shartlesville Road in Upper Tulpehocken Township and Molasses Hill Road in Penn Township due to flooding;
Mountain Road between Monument Road and Bear/Blue Rock Road in Windsor Township due to flooding;
Christmas Village Road between Cross Key and Batdorf roads in Jefferson Township due to flooding.

Carbon County
Route 895 between Hollow and Germans roads in East Penn Township due to flooding;
Lower Smith Gap Road between Little Gap Road and Blue Mountain Drive in Lower Towamensing Township due to flooding;
Country Club Road between routes 443 and 902 in Mahoning Township due to flooding.

Lehigh County
Schantz Road between Hamilton Boulevard in Lower Macungie Township and Cetronia Road in Upper Macungie Township;
Indian Creek/Mountain Road between Allen Street and Route 29/Cedar Crest Boulevard in Upper Milford Township due to flooding;
Spring Creek Road between Route 100 and Mill Creek Road in Lower Macungie Township due to flooding;
Hilltop/Mertztown Road between the Berks County line and Mertztown Road in Lower Macungie Township due to flooding;
Cetronia Road between Trexlertown and Grange roads in Upper Macungie Township due to flooding;
Neffs Laury Road between Scheidy’s and Riverview roads in North Whitehall Township due to flooding;
Fairview Road between Emmaus Avenue and Susquehanna Street in Salisbury Township due to damage to a box culvert (Hurricane Irene).

Monroe County
Route 447 between Stokes Avenue and Brushy Mountain Road in Stroud Township due to flooding;
Tom X Road between Sellersville Drive and Gravel Ridge Road in Middle Smithfield Township due to flooding;
Shafers School House Road between Brislin Road and Beech Street in Stroud Township due to flooding;
Hamilton South Street between Mt. Eaton Road in Ross Township and Cherry Valley Road in Hamilton Township due to flooding;
Marshalls Creek Road between Brushy Mountain and Wooddale roads in Middle Smithfield Township due to a downed tree in utility wires;
Cherry Valley Road between Fenner lane in Stroud Township and Stonehouse Road in Smithfield Township due to a downed tree on a utility line;
Bossardville Road between Metzgar Road and South Easton Belmont Pike in Hamilton Township due to a tree in utility wires.

Northampton County
Route 611 between Cedarville Road and South Third Street in the City of Easton due to flooding;
Route 611 between Lehigh Drive between Hugh Moore Park Road in West Easton Borough and Adamson Street in City of Easton due to flooding;
Route 611 between Coffeetown Road and Mill Street in Williams Township due to flooding;
Green Pond Road between Farmersville Road and South Country Club Road in Bethlehem Township due to flooding.

Schuylkill County
Interstate 81 north between exit 90 (Route 72) in Lebanon County and exit 124 (Route 61) due to flooding;
Route 125 between Penndye Street in Pine Grove Borough and the beginning of Route 125 due to flooding;
Route 183 between Second and Pottsville/Sillyman streets in Cressona Borough due to flooding;
U.S. 209 between 18th Street and Pine Street in Porter Township due to flooding;
Route 443 between Swatara Drive in Pine Grove Township and School Street in Pine Grove Borough due to flooding;
Route 645 near the intersection with Route 443 in Pine Grove Township due to flooding;
Route 901 in the City of Pottsville due to flooding;
Route 901 between Main Street and Route 183 in Cressona Borough due to flooding;
Route 924 between Eagle Lock Lodge in East Union Township and Scotch Pine Drive in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, due to flooding;
Main Street/Greenview Road/Meadow Drive between Spring Lane and Deiberts Valley Road in South Manheim Township due to flooding;
Meadow View/Dads Burnham Road between Deturksville and Sweet Arrow Lake roads in Washington Township due to flooding;
Gold Mine Road between the Dauphin County line in Tremont Township and Greenwood/Clarks Valley Road in Porter Township due to flooding;
Highridge Park/Gordon Road at the intersection with Biddle and McKnight streets in Gordon Borough due to flooding.

PennDOT warns motorists not to drive across roads covered with water because the water may be deeper than it looks, and to never drive around barricades or signs on closed roads – Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

Motorists are also advised traffic signals may not be functioning due to power outages, and to use extreme caution at intersections.

Motorists can check road conditions on more than 2,900 miles of state roads by calling 511 or visiting http://www.511pa.com/. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, average traffic speeds on urban interstates and access to more than 500 traffic cameras. Regional Twitter alerts are also available on the 511PA website.