Changes are coming to a busy Penn Forest Township intersection where three people died in a crash last summer.

The Route 903 interchange with the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been the site of multiple crashes since it opened in 2015.

State and township officials hope to improve safety by preventing drivers on 903 South from passing on the right.

It will involve eliminating an existing right lane on the bridge traveling over the turnpike. The lane will still be open where vehicles enter the northbound turnpike and exit the southbound turnpike.

“The thought process is that removing that extra lane would help with any conflict points,” said Sean Brown, PennDOT spokesman.

Traffic along 903 has increased during the pandemic, and drivers no longer need an EZ Pass to use the interchange.

With the increase in traffic, crashes have become more frequent along the roadway. The interchange has been the site of multiple violent wrecks.

Three men from New Jersey died last August in a crash. They were riding in a vehicle that was turning left onto the northbound turnpike. A driver heading southbound on Route 903 struck their vehicle. The southbound driver, who state police say was speeding, is now facing vehicular homicide charges.

In April 2021, a Lackawanna County man was seriously injured when his vehicle was struck by a southbound vehicle which was passing another car on the right.

People who live near the intersection are concerned about safety. Several crashes have occurred near Diane Kennedy’s home along Route 903. Some, but not all, are related to the interchange. She says the right lane is a design flaw that almost encourages drivers to speed.

“If you’re not watching, someone comes flying up on your right,” she said.

The Penn Forest Township supervisors heard from multiple residents. Supervisor Roger Meckes said that crashes around the interchange seem to be increasing with traffic.

It led the township to have a meeting earlier this year with state lawmakers, police, PennDOT and the turnpike.

Coming out of the meeting, there was strong support for preventing passing in the right lane of 903 south. The state police also agreed to increase their speed enforcement.

Several months have passed since the meeting. The right lane is still in place, but officials say that the change is coming. Meckes said that the township is in the process of getting thermoplastic striping material to re-line the intersection according to design specs from PennDOT.

Kennedy said she is happy that the supervisors are listening to residents and making changes, though she said that it will be difficult to completely eliminate issues with speeding along 903.

Meckes said the changes should result in improvements for people traveling along 903 and those using the interchange.

“I think it will improve safety,” he said.