Banning tractor-trailer traffic on Route 93 into Nesquehoning would be of great concern to neighboring Jim Thorpe borough.

At a Jim Thorpe council workshop Thursday night, Mayor Michael Sofranko said the borough has drafted a letter that, if approved by council at a regular meeting, will be sent to state Sen. John Yudichak, state Rep. Doyle Heffley and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials."Our biggest concern is if they can't come down Route 93, where are they going to go when they come off Interstates 80 and 81, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike?" Sofranko said."One of the answers, we feel, is that it's going to be Route 903. We just want all the stakeholders to know where we're coming from."An outright ban was just one option discussed after three rigs lost their brakes and crashed in three days, March 31, April 1 and 2, while descending the 2¼-mile hill.In the meantime, PennDOT officials said dozens of oversized signs would be added to both sides of the road warning trucks of the hill, brush along Route 93 will be cut back, paving markers put on the roadway and the 38 existing signs already in place will be enlarged and enhanced.Route 903 is North Street, Jim Thorpe's main thoroughfare on the east side of town that will lead to a new bridge, set to open this summer, crossing to connect with Route 209.Borough officials said they already see increased truck traffic after the turnpike Route 903 E-ZPass interchange opened last year."We understand the concerns of Nesquehoning, but we do have homes, pedestrian traffic and cars parked on the street on Route 903," Sofranko said."At the bottom of that road is going to be a bridge that will most likely be backed up with cars. There is no room for a runaway ramp on 903."Council will vote on sending the letter Thursday.