Wrong-way drivers on Route 28 are about to have a much tougher time sneaking onto the highway. PennDOT spent yesterday running live tests of a new detection system on the busy corridor, briefly shutting down multiple ramps while crews checked alerts and equipment in real time.
Engineers say thermal cameras and direction-sensing detectors can spot a vehicle going the wrong direction even in low visibility, then immediately fire up flashing wrong-way signs to catch a driver’s eye. Officials told reporters the networked setup will be monitored around the clock once testing is complete, giving PennDOT a constant view of what is happening on the ramps.
According to PennDOT, the trial runs involved intermittent 15-minute ramp closures on April 29 and 30 so crews could confirm that every part of the system was talking to each other across the corridor’s off-ramps. The agency puts the price tag at $4.8 million and says the project covers all interchange exits from the Anderson Street ramp in the city out to the Harmar/I-76/Route 910 interchange in Harmar Township. Power Contracting Company is listed as the prime contractor, and PennDOT’s notice also lays out which ramps were affected and directs drivers to 511PA for live traffic conditions.
How the system works
Thermal cameras, sensors and cameras work together to detect a wrong-way vehicle and track which direction it is traveling, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Once the system flags a problem, it sends an instant alert that flips on the flashing wrong-way signs.
Channel 11’s reporting showed the technology can also start recording and send messages straight to PennDOT’s Traffic Management Center and the Pennsylvania State Police. From there, officials can push warnings to electronic highway message boards to alert other drivers. The layered response is meant to give a wrong-way motorist a chance to straighten out quickly, or at least buy troopers and traffic managers time to react.
Why Route 28
Route 28 did not land at the front of the line by accident. The corridor has a documented history of wrong-way incidents, with trade outlet Roads & Bridges reporting about 30 such events between 2019 and 2023.
The new detection gear is aimed squarely at preventing the kind of high-severity crashes that can happen when a driver barrels into an interchange from the wrong side at speed. The hardware is designed to work alongside more familiar tools like pavement markings and upgraded signs, and local planners have long flagged the corridor’s tangled interchanges as top candidates for safety improvements.
What’s next
PennDOT says it will study how the Route 28 system performs before deciding where to roll out the technology next, describing the effort as a first-of-its-kind, large-scale deployment for the district. "Everything is working well, surprisingly well," PennDOT engineer Steve Sneddon told CBS Pittsburgh, adding that future upgrades could even send warnings directly to mainline drivers when a wrong-way vehicle is detected.
Once the testing phase winds down, PennDOT expects the network to provide 24/7 monitoring of the ramps.
Drivers should still be ready for occasional short stoppages while crews finish dialing in the system and wrapping up installation. PennDOT’s release again points motorists to 511PA for real-time traffic updates. The broader Route 28 safety upgrades were first reported by Hoodline in May 2025.
