Downingtown Interchange on Pennsylvania Turnpike reopened after toll-booth canopy collapse
No injuries were reported after a canopy being prepared for demolition collapsed onto some toll booths, a turnpike spokesperson said.
The Downingtown Interchange reopened Wednesday night after being closed for several hours because a toll-booth canopy collapsed during planned demolition work on the toll plaza, Pennsylvania Turnpike officials said.
“We were performing preliminary work to remove the canopy, in anticipation of a full closure this weekend. This is part of the demolition work as we reconfigure the toll plaza,” Turnpike spokesperson Marissa Orbanek said in an email.
“During the preliminary work, canopy columns destabilized, and we immediately shut down the interchange to ensure the safety of employees and motorists. While the interchange was shut down, the canopy fell down on top of the toll booths,” Orbanek said.
No injuries were reported.
Certain lanes at the Downingtown Exit were closed late last month as part of the work on the toll plaza.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has been switching to an “open road tolling” system that allows tolls to be charged electronically without vehicles having to slow down.