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Traffic Light Planned for Casey Highway

CARBONDALE TOWNSHIP — Crashes on a section of Route 6, the Casey Highway, in Lackawanna County have prompted the state to install a traffic light. A contr...
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CARBONDALE TOWNSHIP -- Crashes on a section of Route 6, the Casey Highway, in Lackawanna County have prompted the state to install a traffic light.

A contractor for PennDOT is just in the preliminary stages of putting in that traffic light at the very end of the Casey Highway, where it intersects with Business Route 6.

The light would stop traffic on the Casey and allow drivers coming from Business Route 6 to turn.

We spoke to one driver in particular who has been waiting for this traffic light for a long time.

It's been seven years, almost to the day, that Don Kolebuk was severely hurt in a crash just feet away from his property in White's Crossing.

It was April 1, 2009. Kolebuk's pickup and an SUV were hit by a tractor-trailer at the end of the Casey Highway.

"It took me a while to get over it, you know, but still I'm always leery when I stop there and turn," said Kolebuk.

Kolebuk says since his crash in 2009, he hears police and firefighters respond to the intersection of the Casey Highway and Business Route 6 a few times a month.

"Them sirens go on every, at least every two weeks there's something. It's bad up there."

That's why a contractor for PennDOT has started to install traffic signals at the intersection that will turn on sometime later this year.

Newswatch 16 covered crashes there in 2012, and 2013.

The White's Crossing Fire Department goes to dozens more each year. The chief expects the traffic light will have a learning curve.

"I believe that we're going to be there a lot more, I mean, in the first 30 days until people get used to it, and then it should be what it's meant to do," said Chief John Piwowarczyk.

PennDOT officials say blinking lights will be installed in both directions of the Casey Highway to warn drivers of the traffic light.

"There will be, because we're working on this over the summer, and they're going to start seeing some changes here taking place. We're working with the police. I think it will help people get used to the fact that there's a new traffic signal that's going to be installed right here," said PennDOT official James May.

For Don Kolebuk, he's been hoping for a traffic light here since 2009. It'll put his mind at ease, not only for his family but for others, too.

"It's definitely going to be better, can't be any worse."

PennDOT says it decided to put the traffic light in because of the results of a traffic study. PennDOT's stats say there are five crashes reported there each year, but the fire department that covers Carbondale Township says the number is actually much higher than that.

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