Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials believe that the best way to prevent truck crashes at the base of the Broad Mountain in Nesquehoning is to ban the largest tractor-trailers from the mountain completely.

But some stakeholders in the Hazleton area are concerned it will have a negative effect on that city's economy. State Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Luzerne, brought both sides together for a meeting Tuesday morning.PennDOT plans to ban trucks from using Route 93 between Hazleton and Nesquehoning, in response to well-documented concerns from residents in Carbon County about runaway truck crashes.The ban will go into effect in the coming weeks, according to PennDOT engineer Dennis Toomey, who said that it is aimed at out-of-state truckers who have continually ignored warning signs to stop before proceeding down the mountain."I think we would all agree that we've been very fortunate that there has not been a serious type of crash on Route 209 itself," Toomey said.The ban will apply only to trucks with 102-inch-wide trailers, at least 28 feet in length. Trucks smaller than that, as well as trucks making deliveries in the restricted area, will still be permitted on 93.Trucks traveling between Hazleton and Nesquehoning will now be directed to use Route 309 south and Route 54 to reach Nesquehoning.The large, 102-inch trucks are already restricted to numbered highways only, meaning that the detour must follow state routes.During Tuesday's meeting, stakeholders from the Hazleton area said that the decision for the ban blindsided them, because the public meetings held about the crashes took place in Carbon."The first thing that came in my mind, we'll be putting Hazleton at a disadvantage, a commercial and industrial disadvantage by not having the shortest route from the turnpike to the Hazleton area, over the broad mountain," Hazleton attorney Pasco Schiavo said.Before proposing the ban, PennDOT did a study that included talking to truckers on Route 93, Toomey said. Based on that study, they believe about 50 trucks per day will be forced to detour.Kevin O'Donnell, president of CAN DO Inc., Hazleton's economic development corporation, surveyed businesses in the two major business parks around the city.While some did not respond, three firms said the detour would have a big effect on them.Mary Malone of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, said it could hurt businesses."Maybe from what you see from other roads, 25 or 50 vehicles may not be a lot in a given day, but if you have a business that uses Lehighton and the turnpike, that could be substantial," she said. "Understanding we do want to make things as safe as possible."A spokesman for Sen. John Yudichak thanked PennDOT for studying the problem. But Bill Richards said it would be a good compromise if PennDOT allows trucks to travel up Route 93, something that Toohil said she would support as well.Toomey said that his office would be willing to reopen the study to look into that, but cautioned that it had already been considered."Obviously you guys have done your homework, and you're doing it for safety's sake, but on the other side, if we could appease businesses and get half the route in, it would make it a little easier," Richards said.