6-VEHICLE CRASH SHUTS ROUTE 422
Traffic stuck in one-lane construction zone for 90 minutes
WEST POTTSGROVE » It’s the worst possible place on Route 422 for a serious accident and that’s where it happened on Saturday morning. A six-vehicle crash in the westbound lanes of a construction zone shut down the busy highway for about 90 minutes.
The crash occurred around 10:15 a.m. in what many Route 422 motorists refer to as the “cattle chute” near the Stowe exit where traffic is diverted to a single narrow lane in a construction zone.
Concrete barriers on both sides of the westbound lane funnel one vehicle at a time through the roadway for miles. Even though the speed limit is reduced in the construction area, a chain-reaction crash involving a half-dozen vehicles brought all westbound traffic to a standstill.
The problem, of course, is clearing the highway when there is no place for damaged vehicles to be moved or for a tow truck to clear the roadway.
The solution? Remove the
concrete barriers to allow vehicles to maneuver around the crash scene. But that takes time.
Traffic escaped the Route 422 crash jam-up by backing up through the concrete barriers and getting off at the Stowe exit.
West Pottsgrove police confirmed that one person was injured and taken to the hospital by Goodwill Ambulance. There was no information on the extent of the person’s injuries.
The crash involved at least two SUVs, a van and several cars, according to an eyewitness at the scene.
Douglassville Auto Body had to tow each vehicle out of the “cattle chute” individually in order to get to the next damaged vehicle.