Portion of Skyline Road To Be Closed

Date: December 16, 2009
Contact: Keith Newlin, 814.443.4557

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILL CLOSE SECTION OF SKYLINE ROAD
BEGINNING DECEMBER 22 TO PREPARE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF
PERMANENT FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL

Somerset, Pa: The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that it will close Skyline Road at the intersection of Lambertsville Road starting on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 to prepare for the construction of the permanent Flight 93 National Memorial. Visitors will still be able to access the temporary Flight 93 memorial on Skyline Road from Buckstown Road.

Joanne Hanley, Superintendent of the Flight 93 National Memorial, said, “Portions of the road are deteriorating and are no longer safe for vehicular traffic during inclement weather. It doesn’t make sense to continue to make costly repairs when we’ll be removing the road next year when construction of the permanent Memorial begins.”

Stonycreek Township completed its official abandonment of Skyline Road to the NPS earlier this month.

The Flight 93 temporary memorial will remain open. Visitors will be directed to approach the memorial from the east along Buckstown Road. “Road closed” signs will be posted on Skyline Road at its intersection with Lambertsville Road and just to the west of the temporary memorial.

The road closure is another sign of progress in creating the permanent Flight 93 National Memorial. On November 7, 2009, a groundbreaking ceremony was held marking the beginning of this construction phase. Since then, much of the scrap metal from Rollock Inc., as well as previous mining buildings, were removed. Earthmoving is expected to begin in the first half of 2010.

About the Flight 93 Memorial
On Sept. 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on Sept. 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation’s capital. The Memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit www.nps.gov/flni .