Police: Drivers ignoring 'Road Closed' signs on Route 272

• Report rights infringement
• published: 08 May 2015
• views: 1904

By: Kristin Mazur EPHRATA, Pa. -- There are signs all along a stretch of Route 272 alerting drivers of a road closure, yet Ephrata Police say many drivers still drive past the detour sign, right up to the "Do Not Enter" signs. Some motorists are even going beyond that, police say, making for possibly dangerous situations. "Change is something that brings difficulty from time to time," Lt. Chris McKim with the Ephrata Police Department in Lancaster County said. "There are some growing pains and it takes some getting used to. I'm not terribly surprised by this." Part of Route 272 is closed at the Cocalico Creek Bridge. Only one lane is open and only to southbound traffic. But since the closure started on Monday, police have handed out 16 citations for drivers heading northbound who ignored the "Do Not Enter" signs. "It's not a yield sign it's a "Do Not Enter" sign," McKim said. The problem isn't just happening late at night when there aren't as many cars on the road. "It's something happening at the height of traffic. In fact, people are pulling up to the "Do Not Enter" sign and they'll wait for the southbound lane to clear and then they go as if this was being controlled by a light or something like that," McKim said. No one has been hurt, but a few times it's come really close. "There have been at least two instances where motorists of the opposing direction have met in the narrow, one-lane bridge area where they literally came nose to nose," McKim said. The construction is expected to last a year. Police are simply asking drivers to have patience and take a little extra time to take a different route. "Sometimes just a little bit slower speed and a little bit more consideration can make all the difference," McKim said. To find out more information on the construction project, along with a detour, head to: https://www.facebook.com/EphrataPolice/posts/696740097118627