PennDOT says "no major concerns" on Route 8 after rocks fell from a hillside
Drivers traveling on Route 8 south in Hampton Township likely noticed rocks on the sidewalk that had fallen from the hillside above.
In speaking to PennDOT, they said they're monitoring the situation but the weather also plays a big role.
Drivers reported seeing rocks falling from the hillside along Route 8 near Harts Run Road and PennDOT sent out a team of experts to gauge the hill's stability.
"We did have our geotechnical engineers out there," said PennDOT Assistant District Executive for Maintenance Lori Musto.
Musto said, much like potholes popping up all over the roads, the weather is a big reason behind the rocks falling off the hillside.
"The water saturates the ground, it decreases the sheer capabilities of the soil, and that's when you start to see the slides," she said.
Geotechnical engineers assessed the hillside on Thursday, paying close attention to the type of material that had fallen as well as the condition of the hillside, including visible cracking.
"Right now there's nothing out there that's alarming," Musto said. "There is a little bit of rock overhang that we're watching and at some point we'll go down there and try to knock that down, but right now, there's no major concerns on Route 8."
Musto said that crews will be out in the next few days to clean up the rocks that fell off of the hillside.
Now, however, a lot of PennDOT's focus is on filling the large amount of potholes on the roads.
